Family
by victoriasecret23
Summary: Jack didn’t die and after a month of recovery he tries to get his life back on track. After a family dinner at Jerry’s house he meets Jerry’s wife’s niece Nicole. a.k.a Nikki I don’t want to give away too much, but you get the idea.
1. Road to Recovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Four Brothers, I only use it to write stories that hopefully you will enjoy.

A/N: Jack didn't die (yay) and after a month of recovery he tries to get his life back on track. After a family dinner at Jerry's house he meets Jerry's wife's niece Nicole. (a.k.a Nikki) I don't want to give away too much, but you get the idea.

Title- **Family**

**Chapter 1- Road to Recovery**

_Mercer House-_

"Get down here you little pixie," Bobby yelled from downstairs. "We're gunna be late!"

Jack was upstairs fooling around with his guitar, forgetting that Bobby, Angel, Sophie and he were supposed to be at their brother Jeremiah's house a half in hour ago.

"Man we're already late. You better pray we didn't miss Camille's Christmas dinner," Angel said to Bobby.

"Well then get your little sister down here and we'll leave. I'm going to start the car."

Angel ran upstairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jack said placing his guitar on the floor.

"Oh, so that's what you're doing in here? You need to find yourself a woman," Angel said laughing.

"Fuck you, I was working on something," Jack said.

"I know you were," Angel laughed as he ran downstairs to the car.

Jack put on his coat a minute later and walked to the car.

"I said I was coming."

"So that's what you do up there all day. That's what you call, 'playing the guitar'," Bobby asked pulling the car out of the driveway.

Jack sighed, "I was playing the guitar."

"We know, we know," Bobby said rolling his eyes as Angel laughed.

"Leave him alone," Sophie said defending Jack.

"You know what I think your girl can teach him a few tricks, eh Angel? Make a man outta him?" Bobby said sarcastically.

"Hey man, why don't you shut up and drive," Angel said as they pulled up to Jerry's driveway.

_Jerry's house-_

Amelia and Daniela, Jerry's kids, ran to the door to greet their uncle's. Jerry and Camille took their coats and they all headed into the dinning room. Already sitting down at the table were Camille's parents, her two aunts and three uncles, and her niece Nicole.

"Bobby, Angel, Jack, and Sophie these are my parents, Helen and Richard," Camille introduced them and they all shook hands. She rattled off the names of her uncles and aunts and then she introduced her niece Nicole.

"And last but not least this is my niece Nicole."

Jack looked her up and down. She was fairly light skinned, she had long dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and the friendliest smile he'd ever scene. She looked all groomed and proper, way out of his league. She was beautiful, but before he could introduced himself, Bobby who already greeted her turned around and said, "And this is my little brother Cracker Jack."

"Actually it's just Jack," he said stumbling over his words.

"Nicole! Can you help me in here?" Camille called form the kitchen.

"Hi Jack, I'm Nicole, but you can call me Nikki," she said as she flashed a quick grin then turned around to go into the kitchen.

Bobby motioned for Jack to come sit next to him.

"Why do you have to call me that?" Jack asked Bobby in a whisper.

"Call you what?" Bobby said smiling.

"Ok, dinner is served," Camille said sitting the giant turkey down on the table while Nikki sat the other dishes down on the table.

"This looks great," Angel said to Camille.

"Thanks but I can't take all the credit, Nicole helped me out a lot."

She blushed.

"It looks really good," Jack said to Nikki as she placed one of the dishes north of his plate.

She looked away and sat down at the table.

After they finished dinner everyone headed to the living room to chat.

"What are you looking at?" Angel asked Jack sitting next him on the couch.

"Nothing," he said lighting up a cigarette.

"Didn't I tell you before? No smokin' in my house," Jerry said.

"Jacky, I know you're no staring at Nicole," Bobby asked joining them.

He ignored their questions.

"She's too much woman for you Jacky-poo. I mean think about it Jacky, she's a woman." Bobby said making Angel burst out in laughter.

"Are you guys ever going to realize I'm not gay?" he asked furiously.

"What makes you think you can get wit' dat, white boy?" Angel said still laughing.

"I think you need to go over there and play Barbie with Amelia and Daniela," Bobby heckled.

Jack got up from the couch and walked out the front door. It had been a while since he had been shot. He remembered it everyday. He could take his brother's verbal beating but sometimes he wished he weren't the topic of conversation all the time. All of a sudden he heard the front door slam and footsteps coming towards him.

"Look I'm not playing Barbie with Amelia and Daniela," he yelled lighting up another cigarette.

The person walked up next to him and said, "Don't worry if you don't like Barbie I think their playing Candyland."

"Oh, Nikki. Hi. Sorry I thought you were Bobby or Angel," he said completely embarrassed.

"That's ok, you got anotha cigarette?" she asked.

He looked surprised, "You want a cigarette?"

"Yea do you have one or not?"

"Of course," he said as he handed her one and lit it for her.

"Thanks. God have I been waiting to get my hands on one of these for days. I've been here the past week and no one had a cigarette," Nikki said looking up at him.

He was around 6'1", very tall considering she was only 5'2".

"So how do you know my Uncle Jerry?" she asked taking small drags on her cigarette.

"He's my brother," he replied.

She started to laugh, "Iight, that's cool, but how do you know him?"

He looked down at her grinning, "He really is my brother, we're adopted brothers."

"Oh, got ya," she said stomping her cigarette into the snow.

"He didn't tell you about us? I mean me, Bobby and Angel?"

"I heard him talking about Bobby yesterday. He said something about getting a metal detector," she chuckled.

"Yea, that's Bobby," he said laughing with her.

"Hey Fairy!" Bobby called from the front door.

'What now', he thought to himself.

"The girls saved you a spot at Chutes and Ladders," he said then everyone inside laughed.

Jack blushed then Nikki grabbed his hand, "Come on we don't want to keep them waiting."

(Please leave a review! I would appreciate it very much. Also it willcompel me continue :)Thanks!)


	2. Christmas Cheer

**Chapter 2- Christmas Cheer **

_Mercer House- _

"Nice of you to join us little brother. Merry Christmas, you asshole!" Bobby said watching Jack sulk down the stairs.

Jack came down the stairs in long john's and no shirt. He then hugged both his brothers.

"Were you playing the 'guitar' again?" Angel asked laughing with Bobby.

"Fuck you guys," Jack said groggily walking into the kitchen.

"That's the Christmas spirit Jack-o. You might wanna put some clothes on," Bobby said after hearing the door bell ring.

"Why? You jealous?" he said then he started to drink out of the milk carton.

"Merry Christmas Bobby, Merry Christmas Angel," Jerry and Camille said.

Angel walked over to hug his nieces.

"Come on in Nicole," Camille called for her as Nicole tried to close the car door.

"Oh, hey Nicole, Merry Christmas," Bobby and Angel said.

"Merry Christmas, where's Jack?" she asked.

"He's in the kitchen. You should go say hi," Angel said grinning.

Nikki walked into the kitchen. She saw Jack's back as he was sitting down at the table scratching his lap and drinking milk out of the carton.

"What's up?" she asked him.

"What?" he turned around, "Nicole, I mean Nikki, hey," he said stumbling over the chair.

She laughed a little bit before saying, "I'll be in the living room."

'_Shit,' _he thought to himself.

He was standing there half naked when Nikki came into the kitchen. _'She must think I'm a loser.'_ So he walked upstairs to change.

"Hey Jacky, did you say hi to Nicole?" Angel asked him while Jack was going down the stairs.

Jack just looked away from Angel to find Nikki. She was sitting on the floor next to Jerry's girls.

"Merry Christmas Uncle Jack!" the girls said in unison.

He said Merry Christmas to them then Nikki grabbed him to go outside with her.

"Merry Christmas Jack, I got this for you," Nikki said handing him a little gifted wrapped box form her pocket.

He was surprised that she had gotten him a present. He felt stupid that he didn't get her anything. He opened it and there was a pack of cigarettes.

He smiled, "You didn't have to get me these."

"Of course I did. I owe you one," Nikki said holding her hand out for one.

"Of course," he said giving her one and lighting it.

"Thanks, again," she said.

"No problem," he said blushing but not letting her see.

'_Come on Jack, think of something to say to her,' _he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything it's just…" he began to say until Nikki's cell phone rang.

"Hello," she said to the person on the phone, "Hey baby, how you doin'?"

He looked over at her with disappointment. She looked at him and said, "That's ok, I don't need anything," and then she stomped out her cigarette and went inside.

'_Of course she has a boyfriend,' _he thought.

He took his cigarette and threw it onto the snow then he walked back into the house. Nikki was still on the phone so to avoid her conversation with her boyfriend he went upstairs to his room. He picked up his guitar and started to play.

"_Nicole _

_I love your soul,_

_You make me whole _

_You have a heart of gold…"_

"Aw, looks like someone's in love," Bobby snickered.

"Leave me alone man," Jack said not looking up from his guitar.

"Jacky, is that anyway to talk to your older brother? I can make it happen Jacky. All you gotta do is fix yourself up and maybe, just maybe, Nicole might go for it," he said picking up Jack's guitar and placing it on the floor.

"Hey what the…"

"Breakfast is ready," Bobby said.

"Who was that on the phone Nicole?" Camille asked her while they all ate breakfast.

Jack looked over to her to find out if she would say it was her boyfriend.

"No one, just a friend Aunt Camille," she said not looking up.

"Good because you are too young to be talking to those boys that hang around your school," she said.

"Yes ma'ma."

Jack didn't understand. Was Nikki in high school still? Bobby looked over at Jack knowing he probably figured that out by now. After breakfast Jack decided to approach Jerry who was sitting in the living room with Angel, Bobby, and the girls watching hockey. Camille, Nikki, and Sophie were in the kitchen cleaning up.

"Jerry?" Jack asked him, afraid to ask the question.

"Yeah, what's up little brother?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure what is it?" Jerry asked as he and Jack walked over to the front door. Bobby got up and joined them.

"How old is Nikki?" Jack finally asked.

"Old enough for you to go to jail," he said chuckling.

Bobby looked to see the frustration on his brother's face. Jack walked back into the living room to play with the girls.

"What was that all about?" Jerry asked Bobby.

"He's just got a little crush on your niece, how old is she anyway?" Bobby asked.

Jerry replied, "Sixteen."


	3. Battle Wounds

**Chapter 3- Battle wounds**

_Mercer house-_

"_Jack I've wanted to do this forever," Nikki whispered into his ear._

"_I've wanted you forever," he said kissing her as she sat on his lap._

_He pulled of her burgundy tank top that revealed her black bra. _

"_Don't stop," she said kissing him up and down his neck._

_He laid her on her back and kissed your stomach. She groaned as he placed his hands on her skirt zipper._

"Jack!" Jacky-poo!" Bobby called from downstairs.

"What," he said as he sat up. He looked around the room and there was no one there.

'_It was just a dream,' he thought. _

"Jack!" Bobby yelled as he ran up the stairs. "We're going to be late for work. Get up!"

Bobby had gotten a job loading crates of fish and other things because he was suspended again from playing hockey. A week later he made Jack apply. When Jack was shot a month and a half ago, his band had to replace him just until their tour was over.

"You don't' want to start the new year with no job do you Jacky?" Bobby asked.

"I can get any job I want," Jack said as he changed for work.

"I don't want you becoming a male stripper Jacky. That might make you happy taking your clothes off for horny males but I won't you to have a real job," he yelled back to him.

"Like loading fish is a real job?" Jack said running down the stairs.

They both got into the car and drove toward Jerry's house.

"Why are why at Jerry's house?" Jack asked.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you we have to drive Nicole to school," Bobby said beeping the horn.

"What? How come you didn't tell me?" Jack yelled.

The backseat door opened.

"Hey thanks for the ride I know it's not that far away. Uncle Jerry already left for work and since I'm staying with them now I don't have a ride," Nicole said clenching her scarf.

"I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother," Bobby said looking at her through his rear view mirror.

"Me too," Jack said not knowing what happened.

"Thanks. We knew she was sick but we didn't expect her to go before the New Year," she said sobbing slightly.

"We're here," Bobby said.

"Thanks so much," she said as she opened the door to get out.

They watched her approach some guy.

"Shouldn't we wait for her to go inside?" Jack asked Bobby as he pulled off.

"Jacky just because you cut school all the time doesn't mean she will," Bobby said.

"That's not what I meant," Jack said making little hearts on the cloudy window.

"You still have a thing for her don't you?" Bobby asked his little brother.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked absent minded.

Bobby glanced over at the little hearts Jack was drawing.

"You know what they say Jacky-poo, 15 will get you 20," Bobby said laughing.

"She's sixteen"

_Later that day-_

"Well that sucked," Jack told Bobby when they got off work.

"Get use to the smell of fish Jack-O."

"Were we going now?" Jack asked.

"To pick up Nicole," Bobby said grinning.

"Can you drop me off at home? Come on I smell like fish," Jack said smelling his collar.

"Nope, sorry buddy, she gets out at three. It's already 3:10," Bobby said looking at his busted radio.

"How do you know it says 3:10?" Jack said looking at the blank radio that read: _a:1i._

"Look at it Jacky. The _a_ is a 3, the 1 is there and the _i_ represents the 0.

"Whatever," Jack said as they pulled up to the school.

They saw Nikki get run out of school heading over to the outside lockers.

"What is she doing?" Jack asked.

They then saw her make out with a older looking guy.

"Looks like she about to do her boyfriend," Bobby said trying to look closer.

Jack pushed him away, "Don't look.

"Aw I know this must be hard for you," Bobby said sarcastically.

They waited five more minutes and over that time the windows had fogged up from the heat so they couldn't see anything.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, I was in cooking class and I stained my shirt" Nikki told them.

"That's ok," Bobby said knowing that it was a lie.

She cleared her throat, "So am I going back to Uncle Jerry's?"

"Jerry's still at work and Camille took the girls to gymnastics. You can come over if you don't want to stay there," Bobby told her.

"Yeah, that's fine," she said holding her books tightly on her lap as Bobby's car hit some major potholes.

_Mercer House-_

"Here I'll take your coat," Jack said to Nikki.

"Thanks. Hey were can I do my homework?" she asked.

"The dinning room table should be clear," he said hanging up their coats.

Nikki walked into Sophie who said she'd make her some lunch. Meanwhile Jack wanted to talk to Bobby.

"What is it Jacky?" Bobby asked him as he polished his old hockey trophies.

"I just wanted to ask you something," Jack said to him.

"Let me guess you're to chicken shit to go downstairs and talk to Nicole so you're up here bothering me?" Bobby said looking at Jack in one the shiny trophies.

"No, never mind," Jack said then he walked out of the room.

Twenty minutes later Nikki knocked on Jack's bedroom door.

"Come in," Jack said.

"Hey, mind if I sit and listen?" Nikki asked.

He was playing one of his new songs but he didn't want her to make fun of him.

"Um, sure. You probably won't like it, it's rock," he said trying not to look up.

"Well I don't really like rock but persuade me," she said giggling.

She grabbed a chair and listen to two of his songs.

"The second one is really good. I really like the beat," Nikki said.

"Well you like hip hop right?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I love anything that has a beat or rhythm," Nikki said.

She walked over to his night stand and saw a picture of Mrs. Mercer.

"I'm sorry about your mom. I know what it's like losing a parent," Nikki said placing the photograph back where it was.

"Thanks, and I'm really sorry to hear about your grandmother," Jack said watching her pace back and forth.

"Thanks, she has Alzheimer's so we knew it would be any day now," she said.

She stopped pacing and sat on the edge of his bed.

"How did you get the cut?" she asked out of no where.

"What cut?" Jack asked since she wasn't looking at anywhere specific.

"The cut on your chest, I noticed it on Christmas when you were in the kitchen," she said placing her hand on his cheat to show him.

He had his shirt on but he knew what she was referring to. Although he was slightly turned on by the fact that she was touching his chest, he didn't want to talk about it.

"Last year about a month and a half ago, I was shot," Jack said shifting on the bed.

Nikki took her hand of his shirt and stood up quickly.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. I was just…" she said backing away from him.

"No it's ok," he said putting the guitar on the floor.

"I didn't know, but I'm sorry."

"It's really ok."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nikki asked trying to be supportive.

"Nicole!" Bobby yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah?" Nikki yelled back.

"Jerry's here," he said.

"Ok, I have to go. See you later Jack," she said storming out of the room.


	4. Surprise!

**Chapter 4-Surprise! **

_Mercer House-_

"Jacky!" Bobby shouted.

"I'm in the shower," Jack replied.

"Oh," he said as he opened the bathroom door. "Jacky guess what?"

"What, I'm not in the mood right now to hear any bullshit," Jack said.

Jack was still unnerved about is conversation with Nikki. He wanted to share his story with her. He wanted to tell her not for sympathy but so they could connect on a deeper level. It sounded corny to him after he repeated it in his mind but he knew her parents and grandmother died and that's why she was staying with Jerry and Camille. They shared a common background.

"Fine," he said turning towards the door, "Then I won't tell you that it's Nikki's birthday today, her seventeenth birthday, and that we're invited," Bobby said closing the bathroom door.

Jack rushed through the rest of his shower. He wanted to get Nikki a present to make up for not getting her a Christmas present, plus it was her birthday. After his shower, Jack ran downstairs to ask Bobby if he could borrow his car.

"You're not borrowing my fucking car," Bobby told Jack who was sitting down on the couch watching TV.

"Oh come on it's a piece of shit anyway, it's not like I can wreck it," Jack pleaded.

"You're not taking my car anywhere. Don't you have money? All those rock concerts and sucking a little dick left and right didn't get you anything?" Bobby said as he threw the TV remote at Jack.

"Come on man," Jack wined.

"No wonder you didn't make any money sucking dick, you're to needed Jacky-poo," Bobby said while Angel laughed with him.

"Never mind," Jack yelled as he ran up to his room.

'_What can I get her?' _

He found a new pack of cigarette's lying on the floor.

'_Perfect.'_

An hour later Bobby and Angel called Jack to get in the car. Jerry and Camille were throwing Nikki a surprise party. Nikki hadn't had a really birthday party ever and since she helped around the house and watched the kids, Camille made sure she'd have a special 17th birthday.

* * *

_Jerry's House- _

"Hey guys come in she's almost here," Jerry said to his brothers.

Five minutes later, when Nikki got off work, she opened the door.

"Surprise!" everyone in the room yelled out.

Jack stared at her as she walked into the room. She worked as a hospital volunteer on the weekends. Even in a hospital uniform she glowed. He never saw anything so beautiful. She was nothing like any of the girls he had dated. Most of them were groupies that only liked him for being a lead singer in a band.

"Oh!" Nikki said.

She flashed a million dollar smile as she made here way deeper into the living room

Everyone hugged her as she passed them. Jack watched her hug Angel and Bobby then it was his turn.

"Hey, happy birthday," he said shyly.

"Thanks,' she said blushing.

She leaned into hug him. He felt the room light up and it felt like time grew still. When they were done hugging she looked into his eyes but he looked away.

'_God why did I do that?'_

"Thanks for coming," Nikki said to Jack as she went over to Camille to thank her for the party.

"What was that all about?" Bobby asked Jack as he made his way over to the fireplace where Jack was playing around with a little box in his pocket.

"What was what about?" Jack asked not caring what he had to say.

"Nothing little brother, nothing," Bobby said walking back over to Angel.

They cut the cake and everyone celebrated and partied. After about two hours, people started to leave. When most of the guest left for the day Angel, and Bobby offered to stay and help clean up.

Jack didn't speak to Nikki since he wished her a happy birthday. He needed a cigarette, and bad. He went into the back yard instead of the front. He heard two people talking and didn't want to disturb them.

"Oh, so how come you didn't invite me?" a man's voice said.

"It was a surprise party as in it was a surprise. I didn't know who was coming," a woman's voice said.

"What did you just say?" yelled the man.

"Ouch, stop it," the woman said.

"Yeah, whatever, look how come you weren't at the club last night?" the man's voiced asked angrily.

"I couldn't get outta the house," the girl answered sounded afraid.

"Well if you miss the next one…"

"Nicole!" Camille called from the back door, "Hey Jack, have you seen Nicole?"

"No," Jack replied.

The conversation on the side of the house continued.

"You better find a way to the next one," the man said.

"I will I promise," the girl said.

Then silence. Nikki walked from the side of the house to the back door.

"Nikki," Jack called.

She didn't turn around.

"Yeah, Aunt Camille called me I need to get inside," she said then she slammed the door closed.

Jack walked to the front yard to see if he could get a look at the guy Nikki was talking to. Only cars were on the street so he went back in the house through the front door.

"Nikki, how did you get that?" Jerry asked her in the kitchen.

Jack walked over to see what was going on.

"I was outside and I slammed my wrist in the fence," she said as she saw Jack walk into the kitchen.

She looked away from him.

Another hour passed by and everyone was in the living room chatting, except for Nikki.

"She's been up thee a while," Camille said, "Maybe I should go up there and help her with that wrist of hers."

"I'll go," Jack said.

"Ok," Camille said watching him walk up the stairs.

Jack walked up to the bathroom door and knocked, "Hey, are you ok Nikki?"

She didn't answer at first but after hearing the sink turn off and after she pulled a towel from the door rack she answered.

"Yeah I'm fine," Nikki called.

"I have something for you," Jack said pressing his ear to the door.

Silence again and then she opened the door.

"Hey," she said letting him into the bathroom.

"Here," he said handing her the small box from his pocket.

She opened it and laughed, "Thanks, but I was thinking of quitting."

"Well that's good news," he said looking down at her because she was looking down.

She looked up and said, "You should quit with me, it's easier to have someone go through something like this with someone else. You know?" she said grabbing one of his hands.

He was definitely in shock.

"Yeah, sure, I can do that," Jack said looking at their intertwined hands.

"Jack, can I tell you something?" Nikki asked him looking deep into his eyes.

"Sure anything," he said a little bit nervously.

"Promise you won't tell anybody?" she asked him squeezing his hand.

"I promise," Jack told her.

"I know I can trust you, Jack," she said taking his other hand in hers.

"Yeah," he said.

"I think I'm pregnant," she whispered.


	5. Promises

**Chapter 5- Promises**

_Jerry's House-_

"What?" Jack asked Nikki.

"Please don't make me say it again," she cried.

She hugged him tightly and wiped her tears on his shirt. So many emotions ran through both of them. It was hard telling him this, but she needed someone she could trust. For the first time she saw Jack as more than a friend.

"Nicole, Jack, is everything ok in there?" Camille asked them on the other side of the bathroom door.

Nikki sniffed and blotted her face with a tissue. She then sat down on the edge of the bathtub. Jack opened the door for Camille.

"Nicole? What's wrong sweetheart?" Camille asked.

Nikki couldn't answer so Jack did, "We were laughing so hard about her slamming her hand in the fence that she started crying," Jack said giving a half hearted chuckle.

Nikki tried to laugh but ended up getting it caught in her throat on it.

"Well it's not that funny, but how does it look?" Camille asked.

Nikki showed her, her wrist and tucked it back into her sweater.

"Looks like its bruising. You should go put some ice on it." Camille said, and then she left.

Nikki started to cry again trying to take breaths in between sobs.

Jack didn't know what to do. He wanted to go downstairs and tell Bobby everything, but he knew he couldn't. He'd have to take care of this himself. He hugged her tightly as she sat in the bathtub hugging her knees.

"Everything's going to be fine. I promise you," Jack said as a tear fell from his eye.

Nikki lifted her head up from her knees and asked, "Will you take me to a doctor?"

"Sure, right now?" Jack asked.

She giggled and said, "No, how about tomorrow? I heard there's a clinic across town."

_**

* * *

**__Mercer House-_

Jack was nervous. He was so nervous he broke a string on his guitar trying to forget what had happened the day before. Yesterday Nikki had told him that she might be pregnant. He didn't know anything about the father, but he was pretty sure it was the guy who she was talking to after her party. Again he wanted to go tell Bobby everything but instead he had to ask to borrow his car. Last time it didn't work but this time he would try to stand his ground.

"Bobby, I need to borrow your car," Jack said seriously.

"Jacky what did I tell you last time?" Bobby said while playing hockey in the living room with Angel and Sophie.

"I really need to borrow the car," Jack said.

"Jack you're not taking my fucking car out for a joy ride, alright?" Bobby said while scoring a goal off of Angel and cheering.

Jack grabbed Bobby's cars keys off the kitchen table and headed out the front door.

"Where's he going?" Sophie asked while the guys were wrestling on the floor. Bobby looked up to see that his car keys were missing off the kitchen table.

"Jack, Jacky!" Bobby said throwing Angel off of him and running out the front door.

Jack started up the car and put the car in reverse.

"Jack!" Bobby said beating on the driver's side window.

Jack rolled down the window, "What the hell do you want, I need to go."

"Get out of the car Jacky!" Bobby yelled.

"No, I said I need the car Bobby. You never let me go anywhere or do anything. Just let me go!" Jack yelled.

Bobby stopped for a second to look at Jack, and then he opened the door and pulled Jack out.

"What the hell is your problem?" Jack asked while Bobby slammed him to the ground.

"Listen to me you little fucker. Look, look over their Jack! Do you remember what happened right there?" Bobby asked pointing to the curb in front of the house.

Angel and Sophie ran outside to see what was going on.

"What," Jack asked blankly.

Bobby chocked on his words for a second and looked at Angel. He began to say, "Right there is were you died two months ago. You died Jacky! For ten minutes you stopped breathing. And for ten minutes we lost our little brother."

Angel walked over to Bobby to make him let go of Jack, but Bobby held on tight to Jack's collar.

"Do you remember what I said Jack after ma died?" Bobby asked looking straight into Jack's eyes. "I said I promised ma that I would always protect my brothers."

Jack looked at the terror in Bobby's face. It looked exactly like the day he almost lost his life.

"What does this have to do with me going out? I'm just going out for two hours. Do you think I can't take care of myself? I'm a grown man and I can go anywhere I want Bobby," he said pushing Bobby off of him.

"He's just worried man. We all are," Angel said.

"You guys need to stop babying me. I'm not a little kid anymore," Jack said as he got back into the car.

Bobby got off the ground slowly and walked over to the car.

"At least tell me where you're going," Bobby asked Jack.

Jack didn't answer, he just started the car.

"Just tell him," Angel pleaded.

"Look Jacky, we lost ma, and we almost lost you. I don't want to have to relive that," Bobby said out of breath.

"I can't but I'll be back soon, I promise," Jack said as he pulled out of the driveway.

_**

* * *

** _

Jerry's house-

Jack was shaking when he knocked on his Jerry's door. He had to pick Nikki up to take her to the doctor. At first he didn't know which was more never wracking. It was either Nikki was pregnant or that she might be in some kind of trouble, but for now he just wanted to help.

"Hey little brother, come on in," Jerry said hugging Jack.

"Hey Jerry," Jack said nervously.

Nikki was upstairs applying layers and layers of make up because she didn't want anyone to recognize her even thought they were going across town. She had curled her long dark brown hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She never wore her hair up like that but it made her look different and that's what she was going for. Her eyes were very distinctive and notciable, they were light brown but sometimes they looked gray which lit up her already light skin tone. She decided to wear her dark brown contacts. After ten minutes of applying make up and changing into her favorite grey sweater she thought she was ready to go downstairs.

Jack was in the living room waiting. It was an awkward silence between him and Jerry. Camille and the girls had gone ice skating and Jerry was home because he was waiting on a business call.

"So you're going to teach Nicole how to play the guitar huh?" Jerry asked Jack.

"What? Oh, yea the guitar," Jack mumbled not sure what Jerry was talking about.

"Still making a lot of racket on that thing?" Jerry asked.

"Yup," Jack answered hoping Nikki would hurry up.

Nikki had told her Uncle Jerry that Jack invited her over to learn how to play the guitar as a birthday present. She was still upstairs not sure if she was ready to go. Five more minutes later pasted and she figured that if she stayed up there any longer her uncle might think that Jack and she had a date or something.

"Hey Jack. I'm ready for my lesson," Nikki said tying her scarf around her neck.

She sounded so confident, almost like nothing was wrong. Jack admired her, the way she carried herself was one of his favorite qualities in her. She looked a little bit different he thought. She stilled glowed, the way she walked and talked. To him, she was the quintessence of beauty.

"Hey Nikki ready," Jack asked trying to sound as confident as her.

Nikki hugged and kissed Jerry before heading for the car. Jack hugged him too and when Nikki was outside Jerry pulled him in and said, "Take care of her."

_**

* * *

Jack and Nikki sat in the car in silence. It was a forty five minute drive to the next town's clinic. Jack didn't know what to say to her so he just kept his eyes on the road. Nikki didn't want to make him anymore uncomfortable than he already was, so she decided to talk about his music.**_

"Have you worked on anymore songs lately?" Nikki asked him.

"No, not really," he answered still concentrating on the road.

"Oh, well maybe you could really teach me how to play," Nikki said now sounding like she lost all of confidence.

"Sure," jack replied.

He couldn't stop thinking of what Bobby had said to him. Jack knew Bobby thought he couldn't handle himself. He was in the hospital a long time and this gave him plenty of time to think. After he was allowed to go home he decided that from now on he would be his own person and take responsibility for himself. He looked over at Nikki. Since they stopped talking she fooled around with her cell phone. Opening and closing it, she began to feel nervous.

"We should be there in five minutes or so," Jack said turning off the parkway.

Nikki didn't answer instead she turned her head toward the window. When they arrived Jack got out of the car and opened her door. At first she wouldn't get out but he reassured her that everything was going to be ok. They walked into the quiet building and a woman handed Jack a chart to fill out. He sat down and stared to fill out the information he knew about her. It dark in there, definitely not somewhere you want to go for this kind of thing. Nikki looked around at the other expecting mothers. None of them were with men, mostly children or friends.

"Nikki, I don't know most of this stuff," Jack said turning to the door where he left her.

She wasn't there. He decided to ask someone just incase she went into the bathroom.

"Excuse me miss," Jack asked one woman who was reading a "_Parents"_ magazine. "Have you seen the young girl I came in here with?"

"Yes, she left about a minute ago," the lady said.

"Thanks," Jack said as he ran out of the clinic.

"Nikki," Jack called watching her sit on the truck of the car.

"I can't do this," Nikki told him.

"Nikki, I think you should go back inside," Jack said to her helping her off the car.

"No, I don't want to go in there again. We should go," Nikki said waiting for him to open the car door.

"Nikki, you really should get checked out. I'll be there, I promise," Jack said as he wiped a snowflake off her cheek.

"It's starting to snow. We should drive back now," she said.

"If that's what you want, we'll go," he said.

Jack opened the door and pulled out of the parking lot.

Twenty minutes later he decided to ask her something.

"There's a convenient store ten minutes from here. Do you want to pick up one of those home test kits?" Jack asked.

Nikki thought about it for a while. She was about to tell him no, but before she knew it he had already parked in a spot in front of the store.

"No I can't," Nikki yelled.

Jack was becoming impatient quickly. He didn't know how to help her if she kept backing down.

"I'll go get it," he said sighing.

"You don't get it do you?" Nikki yelled at him.

"Then tell me what's wrong!" Jack said not meaning to scream at her.

She sank back in her seat, "If my boyfriend finds out he'll kill me."

"No he won't, he'll understand," Jack said reassuringly.

She let out a nervously giggle, "Do you not understand what I just said? Yesterday after my party, that was one of his friends. He bruised my wrist for not going to one of their parties. If my boyfriend finds out I'm having a baby he'll dump me and have someone kill me."

Jack became very uncomfortable. Now he had no idea what he should do.

"We'll we won't know if you are if you don't take the test," Jack said finally.

"Fine, I'll go too, but can you buy it? I have the money," she said handing him ten dollars.

They walked into the convenient store two minutes' apart and parted ways. Jack went to look for the kit and Nikki pretended to look through magazines.

"Will this be all?" an older gentleman asked Jack.

"No, I'll have a pack of Camels too," Jack added.

"I'm going to need to see some I.D," the older man said.

"Of course," Jack said showing him his I.D.

Jack walked out of the store and then Nikki followed him a minute later. Once in the car he threw the receipt out of the window.

A girl who was taking out the trash picked up the receipt and grinned as they drove away.

* * *

Please leave a review! I love to hear from other writers and readers as well.

* * *


	6. My Baby

**Chapter 6- My Baby**

_Mercer House-_

Jack drove up in front of his house and led Nikki to the door. Sophie answered when he knocked and let them in. They walked upstairs so she could do the test. They had to wait ten minutes for the results so they waited in Jack's room.

"Play something," Nikki said.

"Like what?" Jacked asked surprised.

"Anything that will make me feel better," Nikki said spinning around in Jack's desk chair.

He tried to think of something he could play her. Playing a love song sounded cheesy so he startedto sing and play _"In the Club,"_ by 50 Cent.

They both burst of laughing as he sang the chorus.

"Ok, ok you don't have to play anything," she said still laughing.

"Right, I leave the rapping up to _Fiddy,_" Jack said putting his guitar down.

The timer in the bathroom rang. The pregnancy test was done. They both sat down on the edge of the tub and waited for one of them to speak.

"You do it," Nikki said nervously.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked her as he walked over to the sink where the test was.

"Go ahead."

Jack looked and dropped it. He turned to her a hugged her.

"What, what?" Nikki yelled.

"It's negative," jack said crying and laughing.

Nikki grabbed Jack closer as she cried with him. She never felt so close to him before. She looked up to see what his reaction was. He was smiling from ear to ear and he knew that he finally connected with her. She had removed her brown contacts and took her hair out of the ponytail. Her make up had rubbed off when she started crying back at the clinic. She looked so natural, Jack thought to himself. He had her in his arms and for the first time he felt something from her.

'_Do it'_

When she wiped her face with her hand Jack reached for her arm. He took her by surprise when he wrapped her arm around his shoulder. He reached in and kissed her ever so genteelly on her rosy pink lips. She didn't hesitate to kiss him back. They kissed for a couple more seconds then she backed back. She took a quick look at him. He thought he was being to forward so he started to apologize, "I'm sorry, I…"

Nikki moved forward and grabbed the end of Jack's shirt with both hands. She lifted it up and over his head. They began kissing again. This time it was a more forceful and lingering kiss.

"Yak, Yak!" Sophie called from Angel's room.

They broke their kiss and Jake answered, "Yeah?"

"Yak, a cell phone is ringing in your room," Sophie said.

"That's mine," Nikki said unlocking the door to retrieve her phone.

'_Wow'_

Jack replayed the last three minutes in his mind. He wished to God that they hadn't been interrupted. "Hello?" Nikki said answering the phone.

"_What up Nikki?"_ the person on the phone said.

"Hey what's up?" Nikki asked.

"_What are you doin' rite now? Come ova"_

"I can't I don't have a way to get there," Nikki said covering her mouth to the phone.

"_Didn't someone come by and remind you that you need to start coming over more? Now get over here NOW!"_

_Click_

Nikki looked at her phone and it said called ended. She rushed back to the bathroom to tell Jack she had to leave.

"Jack," she said frantically.

"Hey," he said pulling her close to him.

"Jack stop, I need to go home," Nikki said running out of the bathroom to get her purse.

He ran after her, "What. Why?"

"I forgot I need to do something," she said as she pasted him standing in the doorway.

"Wait hold on Nikki," Jack called as she rushed down the stairs and out of the front door.

"Jack come on I need a ride home," she said out of breath.

"Did he call you?" Jack asked grabbing her by the arm.

"No, Jack I really need to go home," she said.

"Not until you tell me who was on the phone," Jack demanded.

She gave him a dirty look and said, "Fine I'll walk."

"You can't walk to Jerry's house. It's like fifteen minutes from here, and that's by car," Jack told her.

"Jack, please just take me home," Nikki asked as she batted her eyelashes and smiled at him.

"Fine, get in," he told her. He couldn't resist her smile.

"We probably should have gotten rid of the test. It's still on your bathroom floor," Nikki said settling into the passenger side of Bobby's car.

"Oh shit, I forgot about that," Jack said as he went back into the house.

He found the test on the floor right where he dropped it. He was glad that only Sophie was home and she didn't go in there yet. He threw it way in the bathroom trash bin.

**

* * *

**_Jerry's house-_

"I promise I'll call you later," Nikki told Jack.

After Jack had dropped off Nikki at Jerry's house, Nikki called her boyfriend back. No answer. She couldn't get a ride from Camille or Jerry so she decided to walk. While she was getting ready her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Nikki answered.

"_Hey Nikki I needa talk to you," the girl said._

"Oh, hey Kiesha. Bout what?" Nikki asked.

Kiesha was the girlfriend of the guy who visited Nikki on her birthday. He was best friends with her boyfriend Troy. Kiesha hardly called Nikki because they were always together at parties or just chilling with their group.

"_Don't tell anybody I told you this, but Troy knows you're pregnant,"_ Kiesha said.

Nikki dropped her cell phone on the floor and then she picked it up and said, "What!"

"_He knows, and he's not happy."_

"How did he found out?" Nikki asked her as she sat down on her bed to collect her balance.

"_I don't know, but somehow someone saw you at a store with some white guy. You left the receipt behind."_

Nikki thought back and remembered that Jack had thrown the receipt out the window once they pulled off.

"Oh my God. Is that why he wants to see me now?"

"_Just watch your back. I'm worried about you. By the way how long have you been doin' that white boy?" _

"Kiesha! I haven't been doing him. He's a family friend," Nikki said blushing.

"_Well I don't think Troy will care. You didn't tell him therefore…"_

"Kiesha?" Nikki asked. Kiesha hung up on her.

She didn't want to go visit Troy, but she knew she had to go over there and explain. If someone saw her with Jack, she could be in big trouble, or worst, Jack could be in a lot of trouble.

**

* * *

_Mercer House-_ **

It had been four hours since he dropped Nikki off at home. Jack sat on his bed like he had done every night since he met Nikki. He would make up cheesy songs or use old ones and stick her name in them. It helped time go by because every minute he wanted to be next to her.

He looked at the clock. It read 7:30. He didn't feel like playing the guitar anymore because Angel and Sophie were making so much noise. He decided to go downstairs and talk to Bobby.

"There going at it again?" Bobby asked Jack while he sorted through an old family photo album.

"Yeah, that's about the fourth time today," Jack said cracking a smile.

"Hey, do you remember when…" Bobby started to say.

"Bobby, what was that about today?" Jack asked shutting the album.

Bobby walked around the room and looked at every picture on the wall.

"Bobby," Jack said.

"You just gotta be careful Jacky," Bobby said to him.

"Be careful? Of what?" Jack asked trying to understand.

"Jack just, be careful alright," Bobby said as he left Jack in the dinning room.

Jack was sick of Bobby ignoring him. He would give him half assed answers and Bobby would always leave in the middle of a discussion. Ever since the accident everyone treated Jack like he was the helpless one legged puppy. He went back up to his room because he became inspired to make a new song for Nikki.

_Ring Ring _

The phone rang three times before Angel yelled, "I'm kinda busy right now."

So Bobby picked up the phone because there wasn't a phone in Jack's room. He use to call girls at all times of the night and this drove his mother crazy so she took away the phone in his room.

"Hello," Jack heard Bobby say from downstairs.

"You serious?" Bobby said. "We'll be there."

"Jacky, Angel, Sophie! We need to get to the hospital. Now!" Bobby called from downstairs.

Angel, Sophie, and Jack came running downstairs.

"What for?" Angel asked Bobby while they all put on their coats.

"It's Nicole."


	7. Ain't no Sunshine

**Chapter 7- Ain't no Sunshine**

_Detroit Hospital-_

"Where is she?" Jack asked the woman behind the front desk at the hospital.

"Who?" the woman asked.

"Nicole Parker," Bobby told the woman.

"She's in the O.R. You can wait in the waiting room up there. Third floor, take the elevator, right there," she said pointing behind them.

"Great thanks," Angel said as they all rushed to the elevators.

Once they got onto the third floor they saw Jerry, Camille, and the girls.

"Is she ok? What happened?" Jack cried in a panic.

"Jack calm down," Bobby said.

"No, I wanna know what happened!" Jack yelled as Angel hugged him to calm down.

"We're not sure, but she was hurt pretty badly," Camille said placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jack took a seat in the lobby and he held his head in his hands. He wanted a cigarette and badly, but he remembered that he promised Nikki he would quit.

"It's all my fault," he repeated to himself.

Jerry heard him saying this so he walked over, "It's not your fault man. If we couldn't protect her, how could you?"

"But I could have! I promised her I'd take care of her," Jack sobbed.

All of them sat there wondering if Nikki was alright. The doctor hadn't come out yet, and every time they saw a nurse past by she wouldn't tell them anything. Jack felt like his entire world was crumbling before him.

Bobby, Angel, and Sophie had left the hospital after a hour.

"Don't worry little man, she'll be iight," Angel said as he rubbed Jack's head.

"Hang in there," Bobby said while he gave Jack a pat on the back.

Two more hours passed by and still no word on Nikki. He was really starting to worry now. He would get up and pace around the room or he would ask random nurses how she was doing.

"Listen Jacky, I'm going to take Camille and the girls home, it's getting late. Do you want a ride home?" Jerry asked him.

He looked up from his seat and said, "No. No, I wanna stay here to make sure she's ok."

"Well you call me the minute she wakes up," Jerry said as he hugged his brother goodbye.

Jack didn't care if he had to spend the next week waiting in the hospital lobby. He wanted to make sure that Nikki was ok. Jerry and his family proceeded to the elevator to go home when the doctor came out of the O.R.

"Are Mr. or Mrs. Mercer here?" the doctor asked Jack.

"No, but hold on," Jack said rushing to the elevators.

They had already gotten into the lobby. Jack took the stairs because the elevator was taking to long.

"Jerry!" Jack called as he watched Jerry exit to the parking lot.

"Jerry!" he screamed trying to push the automatic hospital doors open.

Jerry turned around to see his out of breath brother.

"What is it Jack? Jerry asked him.

"Nikki's doctor just came out," Jack huffed out.

They both ran back up to the O.R while Camille and the girls stayed in the car.

"Doctor how is she?" Jerry asked him.

"She was hurt very severely, but she's stable for now," the doctor said.

"What happened," Jack asked.

"We're not sure but she…" the doctor stopped and looked at Jack.

Jerry followed the doctors gaze and said, "Don't worry, he's my brother."

The doctor cleared his throat and continued, "She suffered from massive internal bleeding. She had a brain aneurysm, but we were able to stop the bleeding. Someone beat her up pretty bad. They also cut her across her abdomen and left cheek with what we think was a switch blade."

"Who would do this to her?" Jerry said as he wiped his nose.

"The police are looking for who did this Mr. Mercer. I think they want to have a word with you," the doctor said.

"Ok, I'll contact them. Doc, was she?" Jerry asked the aside so that Jack couldn't hear them.

The doctor sighed and said, "We didn't get a chance to do a rape kit, she needed more emergency care. Plus we're supposed to get written consent from you," the doctor said handing him the consent form.

"Can we see her?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Well she's not talking, and she needs lots of rest for the next couple of days. Maybe for a few minutes, we took her up to the I.C.U. Room 362," the doctor said pointing to the elevators.

"Thanks doc," Jerry said handing back the form to the doctor and catching an elevator with Jack.

They found the room 362. Nikki was lying on the hospital bed hooked up to I.V's and heart monitors. This brought back to many bad memories for Jack. He couldn't see her lying there, instead he saw himself.

"You gunna be alright man?" Jerry asked jack.

Jack's eyes began to water but he was able to say, "Yea, I'm good."

"It doesn't look like she'll be talking to us tonight. I'll take you home and you can get some rest," Jerry said.

"No, I want to be here when she wakes up," Jack said pulling a chair up to her bed.

"Oh, well call me in the morning. And don't worry, she's a strong one," Jerry said as he went over and hugged him.

Jerry had bumped into the police outside Nikki's door but the questioning didn't take long. After Jerry left, the doctor said that Jack could stay with Nikki if he was quiet not to disturb her. The police entered the room to call Jack into the hallway. They only asked his relation to her and when was the last time he saw her. They said they would interview him and his brothers tomorrow since it was getting really late. Jack went back into the room and Nikki was still sleeping. He desperately wanted her to open her eyes and give him a smile. It was so unreal to him, her face had no expression. He remembered when she would walk into a room and everyone's spirit seemed to be lifted. Her face was pale, lacking its usual glow. Her hair wasn't shiny and glossy. He also spotted where they had cut her face. There was a long stitched up scar from her ear to the end of her jaw. He wanted to get whoever did this to her, but he couldn't be filled with rage right now.

"Nikki, Nikki," he whispered while he stroked her hand. "Nikki, you have to get better soon," he said with a nervous chuckle. "I owe you guitar lessons remember? I wish I had a cigarette, but I kept my promise about quitting with you."

He couldn't keep himself together. He cried into her hand for most of the night. Finally he fell asleep and when he woke up not to long after he saw that a nurse was in Nikki's bathroom changing something.

"Nurse?" Jack called for her.

"Yes?" the nursed asked from the bathroom.

"How long have I been asleep? Has she woken up yet?" Jack asked her getting up from his chair.

"I'm sorry; I don't know how long you've been asleep. I'm her morning nurse, I just got here. But I know that Miss Parker hasn't woken up yet.

"Oh, thanks," Jack said to her.

The nurse looked over as Jack grabbed Nikki's hand and kissed it.

"It's terrible what happened to her. I'm so sorry, you must love her very much," the nurse said while she was changing Nikki's chart.

Jack looked up and said, "I can't believe someone would do this to her."

He noticed that she was writing quickly across the chart.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked her.

The nurse hesitated and said, "She has a test scheduled for this afternoon."

"What kinda test?"

"Oh, I'm not allowed to say. It's quick and easy. Definitely nothing to worry about," she reassured him.

The nurse was called on a code blue across the hall. She left the chart on Nikki's night stand. He picked it up. It said that the doctor ordered a rape kit. Jack was furious to read this. Now he really wanted to get whoever did this to her, but his thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang, it was Bobby. The nurse rushed back in the room and grabbed Nikki's chart.

"You can't answer that in here," she said as she scurried away.

He went to the stairs and called Bobby back.

"Hey Jacky. How you hangin' in there?" Bobby asked him.

"I'm fine, but Nikki hasn't woken up yet. I'm getting worried," Jack said scratching his head.

"Look, don't worry Jacky. She's going to make it through this," Bobby said to him.

"Yeah, well I'm going to hang around here for a while," Jack said.

Bobby paused, "Jacky do you know who did this? I had a feeling you did yesterday," Bobby asked.

"Not now man. Can we talk about this later," Jack asked.

"Sure, take care Jacky, you know I love you man. Hang in there," Bobby said and then he hung up.

Jack went back to her room and sat there until the doctor asked him to step outside for a while. He figured they were doing the rape kit. The doctor came out five minutes later with the nurse. She was ordered to call Jerry.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked as she walked pasted him.

She didn't say anything she just kept walking. He then caught the doctor.

"Is she ok?" jack asked him.

"She's fine. You can go back in," he said and then he rushed pasted him.

Jack waited there all day and all night. She still didn't wake up. The police had come over with all of his brothers to question them in the hospital. It only took about an hour because none of them were suspects. So Jack went back into Nikki's room with flowers that he had picked up from a vendor down the hall. He put them on her night stand and sat back down. He didn't know what to do, he felt helpless sitting in there with her. Although he wasn't too religious he decided to go down to the chapel. He prayed that she would get better.

"God, I know I've asked You for so much, even though I have done nothing for you. But please, please, You have to let Nikki get through this. I love her to much. I'd give me life for her."

Then he heard a voice call to him, "Jacky, don't worry."

"Ma?" Jack said as he lifted his head and saw his mother Evelyn.

"Jacky, I'm surprised to see you here. I could never get you to go on Sundays with me," she said as she picked his head up.

"Ma, I don't want to lose her. I can't lose her," Jack said.

"Jacky, have a little bit more faith. She's a great girl, don't let go that easily," Evelyn said.

"Ma?" he said as she faded away.

He finished praying and went back up to Nikki's room. It was around eight a.m when Jack felt someone brush his cheek.

"Jack," the voice said faintly.

Jack woke up slowly and thought he dreamt that Nikki had spoken to him.

"Jack," the voice said as someone stroked his hair.

He lifted his head up from the edge of the bed and saw Nikki's hand in front of his face.

"Nicole!" Jack screamed happily.

"You never call me Nicole," she said as she tried to laugh.

"How do you feel?" Jack asked her.

"I feel like crap," she said smiling at him.

She still looked a little pale but Jack could see her sparkling light brown eyes that looked grey in the sunlight coming from the window.

They talked for about an hour and the nurse was notified that she was awake, and then Nikki finally asked, "Where is everybody?"

"I have to go call them. Don't try to get up," he said.

"Oh, ok," she said as she slide back down.

"Do you know what happened to you?" Jack asked her.

Her eyes widen and she quickly looked away from him.

"No," she said.

"Nikki, you know you can tell me," Jack said.

She was about to speak when someone knocked on the already opened door.

"Jack Mercer?" the nurse called.

"Yeah?"

"There's a call for you at the front desk," the nurse said motioning for him to follow her.

Jack got up and kissed Nikki on her forehead. He followed the nurse to the front desk. There were two police men standing on the other side of the desk.

"Hello?" Jack answered.

"Jack did you hear what happened?" Bobby said on the other line.

"No, what's wrong?" Jack asked concerned.

"Apparently, one of Nikki's friends was murdered the same night Nikki was attacked," Bobby said.

"Oh God," Jack said.

"There should be two cops there. They just called me and Jerry to come down to the hospital. They wanna talk to Nikki," Bobby said.

"She just woke up an hour ago. There going to tell her this now?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there in ten minutes, don't worry," Bobby said hanging up the phone.

"Jack Mercer?" one cop asked.

"Yeah," Jack answered.

"Can you please come with us?" the other one said.

Three hours went by as they questioned Jack, Bobby, Angel, Jerry, and Camille. Sophie, Amelia, and Daniela stayed in the room with Nikki. No one told Nikki what was going on. She sensed that something was wrong.

"Where's Jack?" Nikki asked Sophie.

"Yak should be back soon sweetie," Sophie said.

"Look Nikki we drew you a picture," Amelia said showing her, her get well soon picture.

A minute later the two officers entered the room with Jack and his brothers.

"What's going on?" Nikki asked.

"Miss Parker?" one of the officers asked.

"Yes? What's wrong?" the officer asked.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this," the other officer said as he paused, "Miss Kiesha White was found dead two nights ago. The same night we found you."


	8. Deja Vu

**Chapter 8-Deja vu**

_Hospital- _

The police had left after questioning Nikki. She was torn up inside. She knew what happened, but she couldn't tell the police. It was Troy's gang that beat her up and killed Kiesha. When she arrived at Troy's two days ago after being with Jack, he asked her about the baby. She was confident because she knew there was no baby but he didn't believe her so he let her go. She was surprised that he didn't get angry. On her way back home to Jerry's house, she heard a car pull up close to her. It was pitch black dark by now she didn't see who it was. The next thing she saw was Jack after waking up in the hospital. She figured that they killed Kiesha after they heard her talking on the phone with her.

'_That's why she hung up.' _

"Are you ok?" Jack asked her as he walked back into the room after the police officers left.

"Yeah I'm fine," she said.

"Nikki did you tell them?" Jack asked.

"Tell them what? Jack I told them what I remembered," Nikki said sounding angry.

"I just want to make sure they catch who did this to you," he said lifting his hand to hers.

She pulled it away and said, "They won't. Trust me."

"What do you mean?"

"You should know better than anyone Jack. Dirty cops, they protect most gangs around here," she said as she rolled over on the hospital bed.

"What's his name?" Jack asked.

"Whose name?" she muffled into her pillow.

"Your boyfriend," Jack asked her.

"Jack, just forget about it," she said.

He got up and walked to the other side of the bed.

"I want to help you, I can't do that if you lie to me," Jack said as he stroked her hair.

She pushed his hand away. She didn't want Jack to see her scar because she felt less attractive and that's what Troy wanted.

"Jack you should go home," Nikki said. "I'm going to be ok."

"I'm not leaving you alone," Jack said to her.

"Jack just go!" Nikki yelled out of frustration.

She avoided eye contact with him as he slowly backed back out of her room. When he shut the door she pushed her face into the pillow and started to cry. She didn't mean to yell at Jack but she didn't want him digging into this. He could get hurt and she was starting to feel strong feeling for him. She thought she might even be in love with him.

"How's she feeling?" Angel asked Jack.

"She's ok, I guess," she doesn't wanna talk about what happened.

"Look, I think I know who did this," Jack whispered to Bobby and Angel.

"Did you tell the cops?" Bobby asked.

"No, I wasn't sure but she gave it away to me. She didn't tell them either," Jack said looking at Bobby.

"What you wanna do Jacky?" Bobby asked.

"Oh, no," Jerry said walking over to them. "Let me tell the police, we ain't going through this again.

"I think Jerry's right on this one, let the cops handle this one," Angel said.

"No, you guys know there are crooked cops all around this town," Jack said.

"Tell us what you know Jacky," Bobby said.

"Well I've heard Nikki talking on the phone with some guy. He's her boyfriend but I don't know his name," Jack said looking at Jerry.

"Don't look at me man. I don't know who he is," Jerry said.

"Does she keep a diary or something? We should check her cell phone," Bobby said.

"Her cell phone was missing along with her purse," Jerry said.

"What about your computer Jerry? She ever use it to talk to friends?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, I think I saw her on one of those messenger things," Jerry said.

"Jack, we'll go check this out. You stay here and watch out for Nicole," Bobby said.

"No, I wanna help. She's in the hospital no one can get her here," he said.

"No, stay here," Bobby said as they all headed for the elevator.

"No, I'm coming with you," Jack said walking behind them.

"Jacky, I know you wanna help, but your no help to us dead," Bobby said closing the elevator doors.

"Bobby!" Jack screamed beating on the closed elevator doors.

"Damn it!" Jack yelled walking back to Nikki's room.

Camille, Sophie and the girls were still there so Jack went back to the chapel. He mostly sat there not praying just thinking. Once again Bobby had shut Jack away. He felt responsible for what happened to Nikki and he couldn't even go after her attackers as far as Bobby was concerned. Since Jack got of the hospital when he was injured Bobby, Angel, and Jerry kept a close eye on him. Bobby would curse his head off every time Jack opened the front door. He wanted to prove that he was a man and that he didn't need Bobby or anyone to look after him like he was a toddler. It was hard for him to express his feelings. When he was done venting his anger in his head he went back up to the I.C.U. He walked back in the room and Camille was doing Nikki's hair. She put down the brush and kissed her niece on the forehead. She left with Sophie and the girls. Jack grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the bed. Nikki rolled in the opposite direction.

"Come on don't be mad at me," Jack said.

Nikki didn't answer so he got up and walked over to the other side of the bed like he had done before. She covered her head with the pillow.

"How can I talk to you with that pillow on your head?" Jack asked her.

"The pillow is prettier than I am," Nikki mumbled because her words were muffled by the pillow.

"No matter how they cut your face, you're still the most elegant and beautiful person I know," Jack said talking down to the floor.

Nikki lifted the pillow off her head and watched Jack stare at the floor.

"Are you talking to the floor?" Nikki asked him as she sat up.

Jack looked up slightly but not making eye contact with her and said, "I was talking about you."

Nikki wisped her long hair out of her face and held her hand out for him. He held her hand and sat on the bed next to her. The sun was shining right behind her. Jack thought she looked like an angel sitting there but his concentration was interrupted when Nikki leaned in and kiss him delicately on the lips.

"What was that for?" Jack asked.

"For wanting to help," she said.

"I will help you," Jack told her.

"No Jack, just forget about it," Nikki said.

Jack got off the bed and stood at the foot of it.

"Why won't you let me help you?" Jack asked her.

"Because you can't help me Jack. Just stop already," she said as she lay back down.

Jack walked out of her room and walked to the stairs.

"Jack," Nikki called after him.

He called Jerry on his cell phone but there was no answer.

'_Why won't anyone let me help?'_

Jack was frustrated so he went back to Nikki's room to tell her that he was going to leave.

"Nikki?" Jack asked.

Nikki was mad at him so she ignored him.

"I'm going home. I'll see you later," he said grabbing his jacket.

**

* * *

_Mercer House- _**

Jack was so tired from not getting any sleep at the hospital he changed into some sweatpants and went to bed. The next day, Jack woke up around eleven a.m and saw Jerry and Angel sitting on the floor. He walked into the kitchen to get some milk.

"Good morning sunshine," Bobby said to Jack.

Jack kept drinking the milk ignoring Bobby.

"Do you always wake up with morning wood?" Bobby chuckled.

"Shut up," Jack said sleepily.

"Is it from being in a house full of men?" Bobby asked him.

Jack ignored his brother's comment and flung the milk carton at him.

Bobby said, "Ok fine, if that's how you want it to be."

Jack closed the refrigerator door and headed back upstairs through the living room. Nikki was laying there on the couch with a big smile on her face. Jack didn't notice her until Angel and Jerry started laughing.

"I always tell you to put some clothes on," Angel said laughing with Jerry and Bobby who just entered the room.

Jack tried to hide the bulge through his sweatpants with his hands.

"Good morning to you too," Nikki said staring at his hands.

He ran upstairs to put some clothes on and get rid of his wood. He met up with Bobby back in the kitchen.

"How come you let me go in there?" Jack asked Bobby furiously.

"I figured you wouldn't mind," Bobby said writing something down on the counter.

"Bobby, why wouldn't I mind?" Jack yelled at him trying not to let everyone in the living room hear him.

"Jacky, why would she care if you had a hard on? She knows you're gay," Bobby said as Jerry entered the kitchen.

Jerry let out a short laugh then he said, "The doctors said that we could take her home, but I figured you would want to see her."

"I didn't want her to see him with a hard on Jerry," Jack said placing both his hands on the counter next to Bobby.

"Well, Angel always use to tell you not to walk around here half naked," Jerry said.

"What are you doing Bobby?" Jack asked him looking at the paper he was still writing on.

Bobby turned his head to Jerry and they both stared at each other.

"What is it?" Jack asked looking at both of them.

Jerry signaled with his not to tell a Jack, but he Bobby thought he should know.

"Listen Jacky," Bobby said as they all sat down at the kitchen table.

"We found Nicole's diary. She mentions a guy named Troy. Angel and I were going to go down by the high school to ask some questions," Bobby said.

"When are you going?" Jack asked.

"School gets out at three. Stay here with Nikki, cus you're not going Jacky," Bobby said showing him notes he took from Nikki's diary.

"I'm going this time," Jack said sternly.

"That's cute Jacky, but no," Bobby said as he watched Angel sit down at the table.

"Bobby I wanna help," Jack said.

"Like I said, that's cute Jacky but you're not coming with us. Jerry's going stay here with you and Nicole," Bobby said as he got up from the table to grab his keys.

"Damn it Bobby," Jack said throwing his chair on the floor.

He heard Nikki gasp in the living room. His brothers looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Jack what the fuck is your problem?" Bobby asked him, "Pick up that fucking chair."

"No," Jack said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Look boys, little Jacky wants to be a man," Bobby said sarcastically looking around the room and laughing.

Jack got so angry he punched Bobby across the face. Bobby was on the kitchen floor now as he wiped his bloody lip.

"Come on man, don't do this," Jerry said to Jack as he got up from the table.

Bobby smirked again and said, "No, if Jack wants to be a man and throw punches he's gotta be able to take em."

Bobby got off the floor and tackled Jack to the ground. He was about to punch him back but Angel caught his arm.

"Stop, get up off him man," Angel yelled to Bobby.

Nikki heard the commotion going on in the kitchen. She wasn't allowed to walk yet so she got around by her wheelchair. Sophie came downstairs to distract her from what was going on in the kitchen.

"Look why don't we all go?" Jerry asked Bobby who was icing his lip.

"At least you don't hit like a girl anymore Jacky-O," Bobby said taunting him.

Jack got off the floor quickly and lunged at Bobby but Jerry caught him. Bobby leaned on the counter laughing.

"Fine he can come as long as he doesn't start crying," Bobby said placing the ice pack back in the freezer.

* * *

Please leave a review! I think this will be my last chapter until tomorrow. I know I update quickly and I wrote all these chapters in two daysbut it's time for me to get back to my school work. Thanks for reading check back soon!

* * *


	9. Walking Away

**Chapter 9- Walking away**

_Harrison High School-_

They arrived at Nikki's school and sat in Bobby's car.

"I found this picture of Nicole," Jerry said passing it around in Bobby's car.

"This must be Troy," Angel said looking at the guy in the photo with his arms around Nikki.

Angel handed it to Jack but Bobby intercepted.

"You don't wanna see this Jacky, this is some freaky shit," he said as he and Angel laughed.

"Shut the fuck up man, don't talk bout my niece like that," Jerry said grabbing the picture back.

"Well what are we doing sitting in here ladies? Let's go ask some fucking questions," Bobby said as he got out of the car.

They walked to the back of the school where they found a bunch of teenaged girls and older guys smoking.

"Hey anyone wanna tell me who this guy Troy is?" Bobby yelled, holding up the picture, a gun was in his other hand.

Everyone started to run in different directions. Angel caught one of the older guys; he tried to scoop up his stash before he ran.

"What's your name?" Bobby asked the guy.

"Why should I tell you?" he smirked.

"Because if you don't I'm gunna light your dumb ass on fire or shot you. Which one do you think sounds more painful?" Bobby asked as he grabbed the gas can from jack and held it over the guy.

"Iight iight," the guy yelled. "My name is Jared. What the fuck do you want?"

"Watch your mother fucking mouth pretty boy," Angel said still holding him down on the snow covered ground.

"Let him up Angel. I think he gets the idea," Bobby said.

Angel let go of him but they walked over to near by benches and sat him down.

"Do you know this guy Troy?" Jack asked holding up the picture.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. What's it to you white boy?" Jared asked laughing in Jack face.

Jack was about to punch him until Bobby grabbed his arm.

"You better be careful," Bobby started to say, "my little sister here can pack a mean punch."

"Answer the question," Angel said to Jared.

"Yeah, I think I know him," Jared said sarcastically.

Angel slapped him in the back of the head and then Jared said," Fine, yeah I know him. I ain't telling yall nothing else,"

"Fine I'm ok with that," Bobby said motioning Jack to give him a cigarette.

"I don't have any," Jack whispered.

"Jack give me one of your fucking cigarettes," Bobby silently yelled.

"I quit," Jack yelled back.

"What the hell do you mean you quit?" Bobby asked getting impatient.

"I don't have any cigarettes or a lighter," Jack said.

Bobby cursed under his breath and then he held up his gun to Jared's head.

"Whoa, man hold up," Jared said in a panic.

"Where can we find him?" Angel asked.

"I don't know," Jared squealed as Bobby turn of the safety.

"You got less then five seconds to answer my brother's question," Jerry told him.

"I really don't know where he is," Jared screamed.

"Five… four… three…" Jack counted as Bobby held his pointer finger tight on the trigger.

"Wait!" Jared yelled, "Sometimes he hangs down at the old skatin' rink."

"That wasn't so hard was it?" Angel snarled in his ear.

"How old are you any way?" Jack asked.

"Twenty-five," he said as Angel picked him up of the bench.

"Nice chattin' with you," Bobby said as they started to walk away.

Angel punched him in the face before leaving. They got back in the car and discussed the new information they had received.

"What is Nicole doing dating a guy my age," Angel said.

"Probably had no choice," Bobby said.

"Remember back in the day every senior girl dated a man almost twice her age," Jerry said.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"It's just the way things were," Jerry said.

"You think Troy's twenty-five?" Jack asked Bobby.

"I don't know Jacky, but I wouldn't be surprised," Bobby said to him.

"Are we going to tell Nikki about this?" Jack asked anyone who was listening.

"No, not until we get this little punk," Jerry said as Bobby drove off.

**

* * *

_Mercer House- _ **

Sophie answered the door when she heard Bobby's car pull up in the driveway.

"Where did you guys go?" Sophie asked Angel when they all got into the house.

"We had to take care of some business," Bobby said to her blankly.

"What kind of business? I don't like da sound of dat," Sophie yelled after Bobby as he walked to the kitchen.

"Come here and make me some _comida_ _ahora chica_," Bobby said mocking her Puerto Rican accent.

"Angel he's doing it again!" Sophie said dragging him into the kitchen with Bobby.

"Look man it's ok to make fun of Jack, but lay off my girl iight?" Angel said to him.

Jack walked into the kitchen before he went to see Nikki who was still sitting on the couch.

"Jack tell me something, how do you feel when Sophie calls you Yak all the time?" Bobby asked.

Sophie threw dirty rag that was sitting on the counter at bobby.

Jack grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and walked to the living room.

"Hi," Nikki said to him.

"Hey," Jack said back to her.

Jack still felt embarrassed from that morning when Nikki saw him _'up.' _It didn't bother her but she was still embarrassed that she yelled at him the day before in the hospital.

"Jack, I sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you yesterday," Nikki said sitting up on the couch making sure she didn't irate the stitches on her stomach.

"I didn't mean to just storm off like that," Jack told her as he sat next to her on the couch.

She smiled up at him the way she did the first time he met her. It wasn't a completely happy smile, it had some sadness to it, but that's what made her beautiful.

"Jack?" Nikki said.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm really sorry," she said as her eyes began to tear.

"You already apologized for something that was my fault," he said.

"No, not for that," she said as tears began to roll down her face.

He took the back of his hand and wiped it across her face. She lay back down on the couch slowly and Jack followed her by leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. He leaned back but she put her hand on the back of his neck to lean in again. They kissed passionately for the first time. Jack thought she tasted like cake. Her kisses were sweeter than anything he had ever tasted.

All of a sudden Angel, Sophie, and Jerry walked into the living room.

"You two should take that upstairs," Angel said to Nikki and Jack.

They broke their kiss and sat up.

"Nah, I think yall need to not do that," Jerry said, kidding.

"Isn't that so cute Angel?" Sophie asked him as she held her hand out for him and batted her eye lashes.

"Yeah baby, it's beautiful," Angel said taking her hand and leading her upstairs.

"Where you guys going?" Jack asked them.

"Grown folks business," Angel yelled from the top of the stairs.

"What I miss?" Bobby asked joining them in the living room.

"Nothing," Jerry laughed winking at Jack.

"Nah, is someone having sex in Ma's house?" Bobby asked Jerry but he looked at Jack and Nikki.

Then they all heard bumps and sighs coming from upstairs.

"Yeah, but don't worry it's not these to," Jerry said as they all laughed at what was going on up stairs.

* * *

Ok so I will stop now,I said I was going to stop at chapter 8, but my homework was getting on my nerves so I decided to keep on going. Tomorrow I will sumbit two more chapters. 02/08/06 


	10. Can't Heaven Wait?

**Chapter 10- Can't Heaven Wait?**

_Mercer House-_

Jack rolled over to watch his clock radio blink _12:00 a.m_. It was dark outside so it had to be between two and five in the morning. Jack and Nikki had stayed up until 1:00 watching Lifetime movies. This was definitely wasn't Jack's style but Nikki would stick the remote under her covers every time he complained about changing the channel to MTV2. Nikki was on the couch while Jack sat on the floor in front of her.

"Come and get it," Nikki said with the biggest smirk on her face.

"What makes you think I won't?" Jack said in his low husky voice turning around to her.

Nikki knew he wouldn't try to retrieve it. She admired this about him; he was shy but confident enough to do what he wanted to do.

"Fine, you win," Jack said turning back around.

Nikki watched him sit there in that sloppy rock star way he always sat in. She noticed his body was a great mix of leanness and trimness but it looked more like a surfer boy body. She loved his skin; actually she liked the way his skin felt on hers. Since their little encounter in the bathroom last week, she fantasized about him touching and caressing her in a way she never experienced it before.

"I'm pretty tired," Jack said.

"Yeah, I think I'm gunna go to sleep now too," Nikki said.

"Goodnight," he said standing up to go upstairs.

Nikki grabbed his arm and sincerely asked, "Wanna lay down with me?"

Jack wanted to, he _really_ wanted to but Jerry was upstairs and he didn't feel comfortable. She was still only seventeen and he was twenty one.

"I think I should go upstairs," he said making his way up.

Jack couldn't sleep so he went downstairs to the kitchen. It was his favorite part of the house for many reasons. When he was little Evelyn taught him how to cook. This was the first way they bonded when Jack arrived there. He was very shy around his brothers at first, so cooking was Evelyn's way of opening him up. Jack would ask her if he could cook with her to avoid Bobby, Angel, and Jerry around dinner time. As he got older he would only cook breakfast because his brothers were asleep. They made fun of him terribly calling him Jacky-poo, Fairy, and referring to him as their little sister. He missed those times with his mother and as hard as it was to be in there it reminded him of her in a good way. He could smell everything she cooked standing by the oven. This was _his_ spot. When Evelyn would cook, she would tell Jack to stand there and not move a muscle. And as a kid wanting to obey his mother, he stood there not moving a muscle. He remembered the first thing he cooked on his own, he was eleven. It was the day before his birthday and he wanted to make a cake for himself. Evelyn promised him that he could use the stove when he turned twelve but since it was the day before his twelfth birthday she allowed this to be his first day. It came out smelling good and he decorated it with all his favorite colors. Jack wanted to go tell Evelyn who was down in the basement doing laundry that his cake was ready. Bobby who was twenty- one at the time didn't live at home but came back to spend that week with Evelyn and his brothers. He saw Jack's cake on the table and asked Jerry if it was. Jerry was nineteen and didn't live at home either but close to it. He didn't know about Evelyn's promise to Jack that he could use the stove so he said he didn't think it was Jack's. Angel was the only brother besides Jack still living in the house because he was only sixteen. He walked into the kitchen and asked what the fuss was about. Once they asked him he said he knew it was Jack's. So Bobby took his lighter and lit it on fire. That's when Jack and Evelyn walked upstairs.

"Oh, Jake you made a baked Alaska? I told you no matches," Evelyn said to her son.

"No!" Jack screamed as he tried to blow out the flaming cake.

"Happy birthday!" his brothers screamed to him as if he were blowing candles out and not his entire cake.

"I always knew he was a flamer," Bobby said to Jerry and Angel who were already laughing at the site of Jack trying to blow out his cake.

"You jerks! Who did this?" Jack screamed back as his bluish eyes started to tear.

Bobby, Angel, and Jerry laughed as Evelyn tried to console her upset son.

"That's ok Jacky," Evelyn said, "They just won't get any cake tomorrow," she said grinning at the other boys.

Now this was a very serious punishment. Evelyn made the best birthday cakes in Detroit.

Jack look up to her and said, "Really?"

"Really," Evelyn said as she walked over and put out Jack's flaming cake.

Even thought Jack endured enormous tortures from his older brothers, he knew he belonged in some odd way.

"Jack," he heard someone call from the living room.

Jack had been downstairs a while now and didn't think anyone was up this early. He finally looked over at the clock on the microwave that read _5:45 am_. All the curtains were closed in the kitchen but when he went into the living room he could see that the sun was coming up. Nikki was on the couch sound asleep and no one else was downstairs. He wondered who called him but rather than go back in the kitchen he decided to check on Nikki. He didn't want to wake her up but he really wanted to feel her skin against his. So he brushed her hair back of her face and felt her cold cheek. Not only was she cold but she looked pale so he put his ear to her nose.

"Bobby!" Jack yelled as he ran into the kitchen and grabbed the phone.

"What?" Bobby yelled back grabbing his gun from under his bed.

"Hello 911?" Jack huffed into the phone.

Bobby ran down the stairs not knowing that Jack was on the phone calling 911.

"Jacky what the hell," he said pointing his gun in every direction.

Jack was to terrified to speak but he finally cried out, "Nikki…she's not breathing."

Bobby yelled for Jerry to hurry downstairs as he tucked away his gun.

"What happened?" Jerry asked.

"Nicole stopped breathing," Bobby told him as he grabbed their coats and his keys.

Jack grabbed Nikki from the couch.

"You sure?" Jerry asked.

Bobby checked her pulse as they all settled in the car.

"She's not breathing, we gotta get her to the hospital," Bobby said as he sped off.

"I called for an ambulance," Jack cried out.

"It's gunna take em' to long," Jerry told him.

Angel and Sophie were still upstairs unaware of what was going on. The ambulance showed up at the door fifteen minutes later. By that time Jack had handed Nikki to the doctors in the emergency room. She was still wrapped in the blankets from the couch. He held on to them tightly when he was in the car holding her. He had cried all over them while he laid his head on her cold neck. Forty five minutes passed as Bobby, Jerry, and Jack sat in the waiting room. Then doctor came walking out of the E.R.

"Doc please tell me she's going to be alright," Jack wailed as if someone had punched him in the stomach.

The doctor took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead with his forearm.

"Nikki suffered from a pulmonary embolism. She must have been sitting for a very long time because she developed a blood clot that traveled to her heart and blocked an artery to her lung," the doctor told them.

"Is she ok?" Jerry asked.

"We're lucky you got her here as quickly as you did," the doctor told them.

"When can we see her?" Jack asked.

"Not now," the doctor said.

"Why?" Bobby asked.

"We're still working on her and I've ordered more tests. Perhaps you'd like to go home and I'll have someone call you," the doctor said as he nodded and walked back toward the O.R.

"What's really going on doc?" Bobby asked him.

The doctor sighed and said, "Even though we were able to get her breathing again, we don't know how long she stopped breathing. She could have some irreversible brain damage from the lack of oxygen to her brain."

Jack stormed out of the hospital to the parking lot. Bobby and Jerry followed him. Jack squeezed his head with his hands and covered his ears.

"Jacky, it's ok buddy. They're taking good care of her," Jerry said trying to console his distressed brother.

"I'm never gunna be happy am I? Everyone around me dies," Jack said.

"Jack that's not true. Look at all the progress you've made over the years man," Jerry said to him.

Jack yelled in fury and grabbed Bobby's gun out of his pocket.

He held it to his head.

"Whoa! Jacky don't," Bobby said calmly trying to calm Jack down.

"No, I have to. I'm not supposed to be here," Jack said crying.

"Jack just put the gun down," Jerry said to him trying to get close enough to get the gun away form him but not to close.

"No! Don't touch me," Jack shrieked.

"Jack, put the gun down. You're more of a man than this," Bobby said to him stepping closer.

"No, I'm not," he said turning of the safety which made Bobby and Jerry jump.

"Jack listen to me. _That_ girl in there loves you. _We_ love man, _we_ all need you," Bobby said.

"No, no you don't. I'm weak. You said it yourself Bobby!" Jack yelled.

"Jacky you know I just play around with you, now put the gun down," Bobby said.

"I can't. She might die and it's all my fault. It's always my fault," Jack said with his face filled with tears.

"Jack she's gunna be alright," Jerry said to him.

"The doctor said she could have brain damage. You heard him, don't lie to me!" Jack said slamming the gun to his chest.

Bobby and Jerry inched forward afraid that without the safety on he might end of pulling it by accident.

"I don't want to do this anymore," Jack said.

"Don't give up Jacky, she needs you," Bobby said.

Jack held the gun back up to his head and slowly pulled the trigger.

_**

* * *

I know, I know. I left you all in suspense and I'm sorry to say this but I won't be submitting a new chapter until tomorrow. If you're lucky you might get one tonight, but probably not until tomorrow. Thanks for reading; I know it's a long fic. but stay with me!**_

* * *


	11. Inner City Blues

**

* * *

****Chapter 11-Inner City Blues**

_Hospital- _

The last two seconds were a blur to Bobby. For the life of him he couldn't fathom what had just happened. The last thing he remembered was hearing a loud _pop_. He was staring at Jack as he lay motionless on the hospital parking lot.

"Bobby," Jerry said quietly.

Bobby looked down which wasn't so far because he just realized he was on the ground onto of Jack. He wanted to check if Jack was ok, but he couldn't collect his thoughts.

"Ouch," Jack said breathlessly.

Bobby remembered now. As Jack slowly pulled the trigger he said, "I won't lose you again," and tackled Jack to the ground.

The gun hadn't gone off. Jack's cell phone fell out of his jacket and it hit the ground, breaking into pieces.

"Is he alright?" Jerry asked as he watched Bobby get up.

"It was his cell phone," Bobby said pointing to the broken cell phone ten feet away from them.

"Thank God," Jerry said.

"Get up," Bobby said angrily at Jack as he held his hand out.

Jack was to upset to even realize what was going on. Bobby pulled him up from the ground and gave him a bear hug.

"Don't you ever," Bobby choked out as he hugged his little brother.

Jack sobbed onto Bobby's leather jacket until Jerry hugged him from behind.

"Sorry," Jack said as he pulled away to face both of them.

"It's ok Jacky," Bobby said pulling Jack in for another hug.

"We should go home," Jerry told them.

Bobby grabbed the gun which ended up under a car and tucked in his back pocket after turning the safety back on. They all got in the car and Bobby drove home.

_**

* * *

**__Mercer House-_

"What happened?" Angel asked as his brothers strolled through the door.

"Nicole's in the hospital," Bobby said slamming his keys down on the table by the door.

"Yeah, an ambulance came by the house," Sophie said.

"She gunna be ok?" Angel asked them.

Jack threw his jacket down on the floor and walked up to his room.

"What's wrong with him?" Angel asked Bobby and Jerry.

"You don't wanna know," Bobby replied.

They all followed Jack after a minute to see if he was ok. The door was closed and when Angel tried to open it, it was locked.

Jack sat on his bed with the picture of Nikki and her boyfriend. The day before he had folded it in half so you could only see Nikki, but he ripped up the side with Troy on it and burned it with his lighter.

"Jack open the door," Angel yelled on the other side of the door.

Jack didn't answer the door nor say anything. He grabbed the pack of cigarettes he had given to Nikki on her birthday out of his jeans pocket. He lit one and sat it between his fingers. He wanted to smoke it but for some reason he couldn't, he just stared at it.

"Jack!" Bobby said when he couldn't hear anything on the other side of the door.

"You gotta kick it down," Jerry said to Angel.

"Why? He's probably just upset," Angel said backing back.

"He tried to shot himself," Bobby said low enough so Jack couldn't hear him.

"What!" Angel asked.

"In the hospital parking lot, Bobby was able to stop him," Jerry said giving Angel room to knock down the door.

"Stand back baby," Angel said pushing Sophie off to the side as he kicked down Jack's bedroom door.

Jack sat on his bed flicking his lighter on and off. They all rushed in to make sure he was alright.

"Jack, what the hell were you thinkin man?" Angel asked him sitting on the edge of his bed.

Jack still didn't say anything he continued to play with his lighter.

"We're really worried about you Yak," Sophie said in her thick Spanish scent.

"See Jacky even _La Vida Loca_, cares about you. She's taking time out of fucking Angel to come in here because she's worried about you," Bobby said as Sophie hurled a picture frame at him that landed next to Jack's guitar.

"Can you guys just leave me alone for a couple of minutes," Jack said clutching the picture of Nikki in his hands.

"Yeah, sure," Jerry said motioning for everyone to get out.

"Thanks," Jack said expressionlessly.

"You take care of yourself man," Jerry said patting Jack on the shoulder.

He closed the door hoping Jack would be alright by himself.

He sat in his room wandering aimlessly for hours. His mind was in a different place right now. He thought of all the things he went through in this life, unspeakable things. He wanted to talk to someone, but just not anyone.

"Bobby can I borrow your car?" Jack asked as he wandered into the dinning room where everyone was sitting, even Camille and the girls.

"Sure buddy. You going to the hospital?" Bobby asked making sure he didn't push Jack's buttons again.

"Yeah," he said as he made his way out the front door.

**_

* * *

__Detroit Hospital-_ **

It was around 1:20 p.m when Jack reached the hospital. He left the house at twelve, but he decided to drive around a bit before going to the hospital. The doctor said he could stay with her for a while. Before Jack entered the room, the nurse explained that she had to be put on a ventilator to help her breath.

He walked over to Nikki, but looked around the room before acknowledging her. The room was too familiar. It wasn't the same room she had last time but everything was the same except is was very dark. He took a chair and pulled it up close to her bed. He felt silly talking to her because it was obvious she couldn't hear him. But for some reason he knew she could hear him.

"Hey," he started off.

He took long pauses and deep breaths. The door was closed and no one in the world could hear him but he was deathly nervous about talking about this.

"I've never shared this with anyone," he said as he grabbed one of her hands.

All he heard was _beeping_ and _swishing_ sounds as Nikki's ventilators breathed for her.

"I know you know I was adopted by my foster mother Evelyn. What you don't know is why she kept me," he said swallowing hard trying to continue.

"When I was little, my mom, my birth mother," it was hard for him to talk about it.

He never talked about this with anyone, not even Evelyn. He was pretty sure she knew the _cliff notes_ version of the story, but not the torture behind it.

"I was adopted by my mom when I was nine. Before that I had it pretty bad," he said as he sat her hand back down on the bed and wiped his face.

"I remember," he said giving a nervous chuckle, "My mom use to bring her _'job'_ home. I would sit behind the front door of our apartment while she brought them in the back to her bedroom. I didn't mind the men much. Most of them didn't even know I was there. My mom told me to stay hidden, which I did very well until I got a little bit older and a little bit more noticeable,"

A nurse walked in the room and Jack buried his face in the covers on Nikki's bed.

"Are you ok?" the nurse asked.

Jack pretended not to hear and waited for her to go away.

"It's ok, she's a fighter," the nurse said placing a hand on his lowered shoulders and then she left the room.

Jack sat in the position he was before the nurse walked in. He grabbed Nikki's hand again and stroked it with the back of his. He continued to tell her his story.

"Well, like I was saying," he cleared his throat, "My mom would bring guys over to the house. I never knew my real father, and I thought I found one in one of her customers. I was about five. He would leave me presents behind the door when they were done messing around. He'd bring me food and play checkers with me when my mom wasn't home. His name was Hank," Jack said as he got up and walked over to the window.

"One day, Hank stopped coming over. My mom told me that he stopped coming over because he didn't like me anymore. A few weeks later I heard he was killed on the job. He was a police officer, with three kids and a loving wife. After that my mom would bring home more regulars. One of them got her hooked on heroine and cocaine. She would shoot up almost everyday just to get through the day. That's when she started hitting me. I'm pretty sure I was six. I don't really know because after Hank died my mom stopped celebrating my birthday," he said as he watched Nikki's body rise and deflate with every pump of the ventilator.

"Anyway, that's when she started beating me. Burning me with cigarettes and hitting me so hard I would be knocked out for hours. After the beatings, she, she," Jack couldn't speak anymore, his throat and mouth were dry and he never said this out loud before.

He walked back over to her and sat down. He laid his head down on the bed and muffled the rest.

"She would flirt with me, calling me her little Jack. She made me sleep in her bed every night because most of her men stopped coming around. I was her substitute," Jack said as Bobby, Jerry, and Angel walked in the room moments later.

Jack brought his head up fast and stopped the tears rolling down his face. He hoped they weren't listening on the other side of the door.

"Hey, how ya doin?" Jerry asked Jack as he looked around at all of the monitors and other hospital equipment Nikki was hooked on.

Bobby looked around to. It was the same when Jack was in the hospital. He was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and nurses were in and out checking on him.

"It's dark in here," Angel said looking up at the lights which weren't on.

"What you say Angel? I can't see you," Bobby said trying to shed some light on the situation.

They all gave a forced chuckle.

* * *


	12. Can you see me now?

**

* * *

****Chapter 12- Can you see me now?**

_Old Skating Rink-_

After Jack and his brothers left the hospital that afternoon they drove by the old skating rink. When they found out that Troy and his crew hung out there from Jared the day before, they decided to check it out.

"No one's here," Jack said sitting in the back of Bobby's car.

"It must be a late night spot," said Angel.

"Well it's only six. We'll come back later," Bobby said driving off.

_**

* * *

**__Mercer House-_

The guys arrived home at six thirty. Sophie and Camille had dinner waiting on the table. They all sat down and said grace.

"Can I say grace?' Amelia, Jerry's youngest daughter asked raising her hand.

"Go ahead baby," Jerry told her.

"Dear God. Bless da food dat you have gave us, and bless cousin Nikki to get better because she really likes Cracker Jack very much," Amelia said smiling.

The whole room erupted in laughter.

"I told you not to teach them that," Jack said looking over at Bobby cheerfully.

Bobby didn't say anything he just smiled back.

"So Amelia, did Nikki really say that?" Jack asked her playfully.

Amelia and her older sister Daniela giggled at Jack as he blushed.

"Leave him alone girls," Camille said and she heard the phone ring, "Hello? Yes, ok we'll be there."

"Who was that?" Jerry asked her shoving large amounts of food in his mouth.

"It was the hospital. They want us over there right now," Camille said clutching the phone.

"What for?" Bobby asked because Jack suspected something was wrong and he couldn't speak.

"They're taking Nicole off the ventilator. They need to see if she can breathe on her own," Camille said almost in tears.

Jerry held Camille as everyone one else grabbed their coats and Bobby went to warm up the car.

* * *

_Hospital- _

They all rushed to Nikki's room which was filled with five nurses, an attending, and a med student.

"Are you ready?" the attending asked Jerry and Camille.

Two of the nurses worked on her. One of them turned off the ventilator while the other checked her pulse manually. They all watched as Nikki's chest caved in.

"Her stats are dropping," the first nurse by the ventilator said.

"She's not breathing on her own," the second nurse told the attending.

"Turn it back on," the attending replied.

Jack let out a distressed sigh and turned around facing the door.

"It's ok bro," Angel said comforting his brother.

The nurse by the ventilator was about to turn it back on until she heard the heart monitor start beeping.

"Oh God. What's happening?" Jack asked as he twirled back around to face Nikki's bed.

The nurse with the stethoscope checked her pulse and said, "She breathing."

Everyone burst into tears and hugged each other.

"Is she going to be ok?" Camille asked the attending.

"She's not out of the woods yet, but she's stable," he said as he grabbed Nikki's chart and walked out of the room with the med student.

"You see Jacky, she's tough just like you," Bobby said reassuring Jack that everything was good and he has nothing to worry about.

They all spent one more hour with her then they decided to go home. Jack wanted to stay with her again and talk. The doctors told him it was unlikely that she'd be awake anytime soon but he didn't care, he just wanted to be there for her. He said goodbye to his brothers, Camille, Sophie and the girls then he headed back into Nikki's room.

"Hey," he said, looking for words to say.

"Congratulations," he said to her, thinking that sounded stupid.

"You made it through, again. I wish I were as strong as you," he said regretting what he almost did in the parking lot.

"Nikki, I'm afraid to tell you this," he paused, "I tried to," he stopped this time.

He couldn't figure out why he couldn't say it. She couldn't hear him but like before, for some reason he knew she was listening. Now he thought he'd tell her when she woke up. He was afraid she might think he was weak, but he wanted her to know. Nurses and doctors checked in on her every couple of hours and Jack just sat there waiting. Jerry had called Jack around nine because he wanted him to go home and get some rest. Bobby and Angel were going to take a ride with him.

"How's baby girl doin?" Jerry asked Jack.

"She's hanging in there," Jack said with a slight smile.

"Ok man, we'll let's get you home," Angel said as he backed into a tray with a bunch of metal medical equipment on it causing a loud _clinging_ sound.

"Shit," Angel said picking up the instruments.

"Who was that?" Nikki asked softly sitting up in her bed.

Jack watched as Nikki began to wake up.

"It was me Angel, Sorry," he said happy to she her awake.

"I can't see you," she replied plainly.

"Good one Nikki, did you hear Bobby say that yesterday?" Jack asked as he and his brothers laughed.

She sat up and reached for Jack's arm.

"No I really can't see him. I can't see anything," Nikki said as she began to panic.

"What do you mean you can't see anything," Bobby asked her as she blankly looked over in his direction.

"I can't see," she shrieked in horror.

"Calm down, I'm gunna go get the doctor," Jerry said sprinting out of the room.

"Jack?" she called waving her arms around wildly trying to find him.

"I'm right here," he said grabbing her and holding her tightly.

Seconds later the doctor emerged into the room with Jerry.

"What seems to be the problem?" the doctor asked scooting a stool up to her bed and taking a look in her eyes.

"I can't see," she wailed as she began to cry in frustration and then she let go of Jack.

"Can you see this?" the doctor asked shining a light in her eyes.

"No! I can't see anything!" she said grabbing tightly back on to Jack.

The doctor put the stool back in its place and asked Jerry to step out of the room with him for a minute.

"What's going on," Nikki asked.

"We don't know," Jack said as he kissed her on his forehead and rubbed her on the back.

Meanwhile Jerry and the doctor were outside talking.

"Why can't she see? Can you fix it?" Jerry asked the doctor impatiently.

"The time she spent not breathing when you rushed her here, caused her to lose a lot of oxygen to her brain, like I told you this morning. Because of this, I'm afraid she has lost her sight, probably for good," the doctor told Jerry.

"So she won't be able to see again?" Jerry asked worriedly.

"I'm pretty sure she's suffered irreversible brain damage to her optic nerves," the doctor told him and then he said, "Nicole came to us not breathing the other day. She's lucky to still have her life."

Jerry gave the doctor a firm hand shake and a thank you. He walked back in the room to tell Nikki that bad news.

"What is it?" Nikki asked as she heard the door open then close.

Angel, Jack, and Bobby looked at Jerry and already knew the answer. Jerry explained what happened to her that morning and told her what the doctor said.

"Is he one hundred percent sure?" Nikki asked him, she was still crying on Jack's sleeve.

"He said, he thinks it's irreversible," Jerry told her.

"So, I'm blind?" Nikki asked then she continued to cry.

She asked for everyone to leave. She wanted to be alone.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked her.

"I want to be alone right now," she said with her head down facing the pillow in her lap.

"I actually wanted to talk to you," Jack said.

"Ok," she said as she slid back down and rested her head on the pillow as Bobby, Angel, and Jerry left.

Jack was standing up over Nikki. He looked into her eyes which still look as beautiful just like the day he met her. The difference was not that she wasn't looking back at him but because it looked like her soul had been taken from her.

"Jack?" she asked because she thought he had left the room.

"I'm still here," he said.

"Jack I don't want this," Nikki said to him with her head facing the ceiling.

"I know you don't, but you have to adjust," Jack said trying to sound supportive.

"Adjust? Adjust?" Nikki asked him sitting up and looking past him. "You expect me to just be fine with this?" she said slamming her arms down the bed.

"I don't know what to tell you, but you can't give up like I almost did," Jack said lowering his head to the floor.

"What do you mean?" Nikki asked him thinking he was talking about his accident a few months back.

"This morning after we brought you in," Jack said as he watched her blank stare become concerned.

"What you can tell me," Nikki told him.

"I don't know why but when I stepped outside I grabbed Bobby's gun and I…" Jack started to spill out until Nikki grabbed the railing on her bed to catch his attention.

"I understand," she said smiley sweetly as she held her arms out for him.

He began to cry in her arms.

"Jack," she said stroking his medium length brown-blonde hair with her hands, "You have to stay with me, I need you."

"I know, that's why I don't know why I almost did it," he said still sobbing tears onto her hospital gown.

"I won't give up on you, don't give up on me," she said.

"I won't," he said.

"Jack, I'm here. Can't you see me? I'm still here," she said placing her hands on each side of his face so he could look into her eyes.

* * *


	13. Knock, Knock

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 13-Knock, Knock**

_Mercer house- _

Jerry had brought Nikki over to his brother's house after she was released from the hospital. Since Nikki was going through some tough times he thought it was best for her to spend this time with Jack.

"Do you need anything?" Jack asked Nikki leading her into the kitchen with his arm.

"No, I'm fine Jack, for the millionth time," she said trying not to bump into anything.

"Here, sit here," he said pulling a chair from under the table so she could sit down.

"Thanks. So what are you making me?" she asked him gloatingly.

"What would you like for dinner madam moisel?" Jack asked looking into the fridge.

"I don't know surprise me," she said.

While Jack and Nikki spent some time together, Bobby gathered Angel and Jerry on the front porch.

"It's cold out here man. Why can't we do this in the house?" Angel barked at Bobby.

"Because we don't want them to hear us," Bobby said.

"What is it Bobby?" Jerry asked him.

"Well I was thinking. It's getting late in all, we should probably take a drive down by the old roller skatin rink."

"Oh hell nah," Jerry said throwing his hands over his head, "I know you're not still thinking bout going down there."

"And why not?" Angel said in Bobby's defense.

"Look in there Jerry. Your niece will never see again. She's been to the hospital twice in the last week, I know you don't want these punks getting away with this," Bobby told him.

"No of course not, but haven't we been down this rode before? Someone's gunna get hurt man," Jerry said trying to convince them this was a bad idea.

"Well we've knocked on the devil's door before, what's one more visit?" Angel said walking back into the house.

Bobby and Jerry followed Angel into the living room and then he grabbed Jerry and said, "Jack might think were up to something. Let's go down to Johnny G's bar, wait till it's ten o'clock and then head down to catch those little mothafuckers," Bobby said.

"Iight fine, but we should invite him so it don't look suspicious. He'll stay here with Nikki fo sho," Jerry told him.

"Hey Jacky," Bobby said from the living room, "Angel, Jerry and I are going out for drinks, wanna come?" Bobby asked.

Jack looked at Nikki who was waiting for him to answer.

"No, I'ma stay here with Nikki."

"Cool then, we'll be back later," he said as he grabbed his car keys off the table by the front door.

"We're we goin?" Angel asked them as Jerry pulled him out the door.

Jack was still trying to decide what to make Nikki for dinner. Sophie was upstairs and he wondered if he should make dinner for everyone when they got home.

"Wanna wait till my brothers get back and then I'll cook? Are you hungry now?" Jack asked Nikki.

"I can wait," she said as she heard a blow dryer go on upstairs.

"Is Sophie doing her hair?" Nikki asked Jack.

"Yeah, I think so why?"

"I dunno, I was thinking about asking her to cut my hair," she said with a shrug.

"You want to cut your hair?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I could cut your hair," Jack said confidently.

Nikki started laughing, "You? You can cut hair?"

"Yeah, I cut mine all the time," Jack said.

Nikki got up and walked over to him by following his voice. He caught her before she bumped into a wall.

She held a piece of his hair in her hand and said, "I can see."

They both laughed and then Jack said, "Come on, I got my lucky scissors upstairs in the bathroom.

"Hey Sophie, you almost done?" Jack asked her.

"Yeah Yak, give me a minute," Sophie said as she finished her last strand of hair.

When she was finished she grabbed her hair dryer and said, "If you need any help call me."

Jack sat Nikki down on the edge of the tub and grabbed his scissors out of the medicine cabinet.

"How do you want me to cut it?" he asked.

"Um, I dunno, how about shoulder length?" Nikki said trying to find her balance between the tub and its edge.

"Ok, I can do shoulder length. You sure about this?" Jack asked before putting the scissors to her hair.

"What do I need hair down to my butt for? Go ahead and cut it," she said reassuringly.

"Ok," he said as he began to snip away.

"Done," he said moments later.

"Well can I see it?" Nikki asked him playfully.

He was confused by why she said this but he handed her a mirror.

"Looks gorgeous. Don't ya think?" she asked as she turned toward him.

"Looks wonderful," he said holding his arm out so he could lead her downstairs.

"Why do you have so many tattoos?" she asked him before they got out the bathroom.

"I dunno. I just do."

"Did they hurt?" she asked as she touched one of them.

"Some of them did," Jack said wondering how she knew exactly where his _'Spares'_ tattoo was on his right forearm.

"I wanna get a tattoo," she said touching one of his cross tattoos on his upper left arm.

"Oh yeah? Where you gunna put it?" Jack asked her jokingly.

"Somewhere where I can't see it," she said giggling.

Jack was a little unsettled by this. He didn't know whether to laugh or brush it off.

"Go ahead and laugh," she said placing her hands on his face, "I never get to see you smile anymore."

He considered that she was getting use to being blind. If she could handle it, then he could too.

"Well should I try, or are you going to do it?" she said with a smirk.

"Do what?" he asked her confusedly.

"Kiss me," she said staring up at him, "I don't know how far you are away from my face."

He chuckled, "I do."

They kissed for a while in the bathroom before Jack led her into his room.

"Jack," Nikki whispered softly ashe continued to kiss her and slide his hands under her shirt and up her back.**__**_**

* * *

**_

_Skating Rink-_

"I bet that kid Jared was bullshitin' us," Angel said to Bobby and Jerry as they sat in the car waiting.

"Bobby there's nobody here, let's just go," Jerry said watching the street fill up with snow.

"Just wait a minute," Bobby said trying to un-fog his window.

Two minutes later Bobby saw someone dart across the field in front of the skating rink.

"Look right there," Bobby said pointing to the running kid.

They all jumped out the car and ran after the kid. Angel caught up with him and held him down on the ground.

"Yo, what the fuck yo?" the kid yelled from underneath Angel.

"Shut up and listen playboy," Angel said trying to suppress the boy's movements.

"Is Troy in there?" Bobby asked him.

"Why should I tell you?" the kid said trying to get Angel off of him.

"What is wrong with our youth today? All yall to hard headed. Answer my brother's question," Jerry said to the kid.

"Yeah, Troy's in there, but so are twenty other thugs with pistols," the kid said.

"Ok let him go," Bobby said pointing his gun at him.

Angel kicked the boy in the back before he got up. They watched as the kid ran off in the opposite direction of the skating rink.

"What we do now Bobby?" Angel asked him walking to the car.

"We wait till he's alone," Bobby said starting up the car.

* * *


	14. Killing me Softly

**(Rated MA for sexual content)**

**

* * *

****Chapter 14-Killing me softly**

_Mercer House- _

"Jack," Nikki said breathless while Jack slowly lifted up her shirt revealing her thin petite stomach.

"Yeah?" he asked kissing her feverishly.

"Hold on," she said removing her arms from around his neck and pulling down her shirt.

Jack waited for her continue but he felt bad because he thought he was rushing her. They both knew it wasn't their first time, but it was their first time with each other.

"Nikki it's ok, we can go back down…" Jack started to say until Nikki forced him backwards onto his bed.

They started to kiss again but this time it was more romantic than aggressive. Jack spun her around onto her back and closed his eyes. He kissed her neck while she pulled his shirt up over his head. He then slipped her shirt off and threw it across the room. She rubbed his soft muscular back while he kissed her stomach. He stopped and looked to see if she was ok. She smiled sweetly as if to say _'go ahead,' _so he unzipped her pants and a wave of arousal filled her. They kissed again and after a few minutes of that she stopped him. She placed her hands on his stomach and felt down. Jack straddled her as she grabbed at his belt buckle. He left out a sigh as she pulled down his jeans. He kissed her chest tenderly as she lay there motionless. Her skin was like butter to him, so smooth and silky.

"Jack," she moans tilting her head back.

Jack rested his head near hers as he slid her panties down her velvety legs. With both their eyes closed, Jack filled Nikki's body. For a second she was reluctant, but her reluctance quickly disappeared and they both let out a series of sighs and moans. She arched her back a dug her nails into his back.

Sophie was about to see how they were doing in the bathroom when she heard the noises coming from Jack's bedroom.

"Oh," she said walking back downstairs.

Meanwhile, Angel, Bobby, and Jerry were in the driveway twenty minutes later.

"God I'm hungry," Bobby said opening the front door.

"Jacky-poo betta have dinner on the table," Angel said warming his hands up.

"Shhh," Sophie whispered running to the front porch.

"Why?" Bobby yelled as she pointed upstairs.

"Is Nikki asleep? Where's Jack?" Jerry asked her whispering back as she hit Bobby for yelling.

"No, they're both upstairs," Sophie said making all of them follow her into the kitchen.

"Why are we in here? What are they doin?" Angel asked and by the look on Sophie's face he knew.

"Oh hell nah," Jerry said catching on to what Sophie was talking about.

"Wanna go upstairs and see what your little brother's doing to your niece?" Bobby asked Jerry teasingly.

"Shut up man," Jerry said trying to clear his mind.

"Cracker Jack is hittin that," Bobby said sarcastically

"Would you shut the hell up? I don't need to think bout that, come on man" Jerry said.

"How long they been at it?" Bobby asked Sophie.

"You're such a smart ass Bobby," Sophie said heading for the living room.

"Well then, looks like you're gunna have to give up your gay jokes on him," Angel said to Bobby, following Sophie into the living room.

"I can't believe him," Jerry said scratching his head.

"Yeah, can you believe Angel wants me to give up on gay jokes," Bobby said.

"No, no. Jack," Jerry said.

"What about him?" Bobby asked him grabbing a beer from out of the fridge.

Jerry sighed and said, "Never mind. I gotta go. Is it ok if she stays here?"

"I ain't goin up there to find out," Bobby said with a smirk.

"What ever man, I'll come get her tomorrow," Jerry said getting his things to go home.

Back upstairs, Jack was holding Nikki. He sat there with his eyes closed trying to imagine how she felt making love to him without being able to see him. Nikki ran her hands all over Jack trying to familiarize herself with his body. They sat there in silence for a long time and ended up falling asleep in each others arms.

The next morning Sophie found Nikki wandering aimlessly in the hallway.

"Nikki," Sophie whispered.

"Sophie?" Nikki asked, giggling quietly with a blanket wrapped around her.

"What are you doing?" Sophie asked.

"Jack's still asleep, I didn't want to wake him up," she said.

"Yeah, everyone's still asleep, how long have you been out here?" Sophie asked.

"About five minutes?" she said.

Sophie grabbed onto her.

"This is so embarrassing," Nikki chuckled.

Sophie grinned and said, "So you and Yak…"

"Yeah," she said not knowing if Sophie could see the huge smile on her face.

"Aw, that's so cute. Oh, do you need clothes?" Sophie asked her noticing that she was only in her underwear.

"Yeah, I couldn't find mine in Jack's room," she said blushing.

"Wait here," Sophie said running into Angel's room to grab Nikki her sweater and a pair of sweatpants.

"Thanks, it's so cold in here," Nikki said slipping on the clothes.

"Bobby always forgets to turn the heat back on in the morning."

"We'll at least you found me. I don't know what I would do if Bobby, or Angel did," Nikki laughed with Sophie.

"Let's get you downstairs."

Sophie led her into the living room and turned the TV on.

"Would you like some hot chocolate or coffee?" Sophie asked Nikki.

"I'll have hot chocolate, thanks Sophie," Nikki said.

"No problem," she said walking into the kitchen.

Sophie returned to the living room with their hot chocolates.

"Thanks, tastes great," Nikki said sipping her hot chocolate.

"Your welcome. So…" Sophie began to ask Nikki who already knew what she was going to ask. "How was it?"

Nikki couldn't help but get excited.

"Well, it was great," Nikki said grinning.

"Mm hmm," Sophie said waiting for her to really answer the question.

"What?' Nikki tried to yell quietly.

Sophie just laughed it off and said, "Ok, it was only great then."

"Ok, it was fantastic!" Nikki said yelling this time that it woke up Bobby.

Sophie laughed, "I'm going to get my nails done today, would you like to come?"

"I'd love to," Nikki said.

"Good, now you can look really nice for Yak."

They both laughed as Bobby came strolling down the stairs.

"What are you two so happy about?" Bobby asked, knowingly.

"Oh shut up Bobby, just because nobody loves you," Sophie said as Nikki giggled under her breath.

"Wa? Wa? I sorry, I no speaka any da English," Bobby said mocking Sophie's accent.

Sophie threw a couch pillow at him.

"What's with you and throwing things at me? If I didn't know any betta, I'd think you were in love with me," Bobby said making a _kissing_ sound at her.

"Bobby, I wouldn't kiss you if you needed mouth to mouth," Sophie said deviously.

"Hey _cállate_, I wouldn't let you kiss me with your jalapeño breathe anyway," Bobby said cunningly walking back upstairs.

Nikki laughed, "You two have a beautiful relationship."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Nikki?" Jack asked as he treaded down the stairs after passing Bobby.

"We're in here," Sophie told him.

"Hey, good morning," Jack said, with his head hung low leaning on the doorframe with a grin on his face.

"Morning," Nikki said, sipping her hot chocolate trying to hide her cheerful expression.

"It's such a great day outside. Do you maybe, wanna go ice skatin?" he asked shyly.

Nikki sat her mug down on the coffee table and said," Well I've never ice skated before, but I'm sure you can teach me," she said as he stood in front of her.

"I bet I can," he said as he bent over to kiss her on the lips.

"Oh, I was gunna go get my nails done with Sophie," Nikki said.

"Oh, we can get them done after," Sophie said picking up her mug and carrying into the kitchen.

"Well Sophie, you can come with us," Jack said.

"I don't wanna intrude," Sophie said form the kitchen.

"Come on Sophie, then we can go straight to the nail salon," Nikki said.

"Ok, I'll go get dressed."

Sophie ran upstairs, "Angel, Angel," she called.

"What?" Angel said sleepily.

"I'm going ice skating with Jack and Nikki," Sophie said in his ear.

"What," Angel said rolling over.

"Never mind. Bye," Sophie said throwing a pillow at his head.

"Crazy ass," Angel muttered into his pillow.

_**

* * *

**__Ice skating rink- _

"I'm gunna fall," Nikki said shivering as Jack tied her ice skates.

"I won't drop you," Jack said tightening the skates.

"This betta be fun," Nikki said crossing her arms.

"Of course it will be fun," Jack said grinning.

"Are we still talking about skating or about last night?" she asked grinning back.

"You guys ready?" Sophie asked them as she approached the ice.

"Let's go," Nikki said as Jack led her to the rink.

"See this isn't so bad," Jack said as they glided on the ice.

"Hey keep your hands where I can see em' buddy," Nikki teased.

"Can you see them here?" Jack whispered into her ear as he slid his hands down her waist.

Nikki looked up behind her, "Ahhh…"

Nikki and Jack went crashing down to the ice.

"Are you two ok?" Sophie asked watching them struggle to get up.

Nikki and Jack laughed while Sophie helped them up.

"I guess we won't be going to the Olympics," Nikki said frowning playfully at Jack.

"There's always the single competition," Jack told her.

"I'll pass," Nikki giggled.

"You ready to go now?" Sophie asked Nikki.

"Yeah, I think I've had enough exercise for a year," Nikki said.

Jack dropped them off at the nearest nail salon.

"When should I come back?" Jack asked them.

"About an hour?" Sophie said helping Nikki out of the car.

"Ok, see you then," he said leaning over to kiss Nikki on the cheek.

"Jack, can you get my things? I left them at your house and Uncle Jerry wants me to be home soon," Nikki said.

"Ok."

Jack drove home to gather Nikki belongs.

"Where were you?" Bobby said sitting in the dark living room juggling the remote.

"I went ice skatin with Nikki and Sophie," Jack said running upstairs.

"You took my car?" Bobby yelled after him.

"Yeah," Jack said trying to search for Nikki's clothes.

"Where are they?" Bobby asked Jack when he returned downstairs.

"Getting their nails done," Jack said.

"Are those Nikki's clothes?" Bobby asked leaning back on the couch.

Jack grinned and said, "Yeah."

Bobby laughed and walked over to Jack slapping him on the shoulder, "Jack!"

"What?" Jack asked laughing with him.

"You dawg!" Bobby barked.

"It's not like that," Jack said bashfully.

"What's with all the yelling today?" Angel asked walking down stairs in his bathrobe.

"Our little brother's becoming a man," Bobby said hanging his arm on Angel shoulder.

"We always knew his day would come," Angel said while he and Bobby wiped their eyes pretending to cry.

"You two are sick," Jack said packing Nikki's clothes in a bag.

After an hour of heckling and taunts from his brothers, Jack had to go pick up Nikki and Sophie from the nail salon.

"Can I ride with you? I need to pick up a few things," Bobby said.

"Sure. Hey Angel you wanna come with us?" Jack asked Angel.

"Nah, man I'll wait till yall get back," Angel said from upstairs.

Bobby drove Jack to the nail salon. He didn't like anyone else driving his car so he drove. Once they got there Bobby parked on the other side of the street and waited.

"You going to go get them?" Bobby asked.

"I'll just wait," Jack said fearing Bobby would make fun of him if he got out the car and walked into the shop.

"Come on," Bobby said opening his door.

Nikki and Sophie stepped out of the salon as soon as Jack and Bobby crossed the street.

"Hey your nails look beautiful," Jack told Nikki then he held her hand.

"Do you have any money? I ran out of money plus forgot to tip the guy," Sophie said to Bobby.

Bobby sighed and said, "My wallet's on the seat."

So Sophie walked across the street and waited for Bobby to unlock the door.

"I forgot my purse," Nikki told Jack.

"I'll get it, what does it look like? Here Jack unlock the door for Sophie," Bobby said as he gave the keys to Jack.

Bobby and Nikki stayed by the salon as Jack got ready to cross the street. All of a sudden a black car pulled into the block.

"Ahhh," Sophie screamed as someone in the back of the car started to shot at her.

"Sophie!" Jack screamed as he ran in front of the car to shield her.

"Jacky no!" Bobby yelled on the other side of the sidewalk as he covered Nikki.

The car screeched out of the block then Bobby and Nikki ran over to Sophie and Jack.

* * *


	15. Ready or Not

**Chapter 15- Ready or Not**

Bobby ran across the street horrified at what might be waiting for him on the other side.

"Bobby!" Jack yelled.

Bobby stopped in the middle of the street.

"_Bobby!" Jack screamed bleeding onto the snow covered sidewalk._

"_Hold on Jacky! Bobby yelled back._

"_Bobby!" Jack gargled, due to the large amounts of blood clogging his throat. _

_Bobby ran over to Jack who was injured pretty badly. He wished he could've gotten there sooner._

"_Come on Jack, don't die on me you little fairy," Bobby cried holding onto the back of Jack's neck._

_Within seconds Jack was gone._

"Bobby?" Jack screamed leaning over Sophie.

Bobby continued to cross the street, he told Nikki to stay by the shop. He looked down at Jack's arms where Sophie was bleeding on Jack's jeans.

"She's hurt," Jack said referring to the gunshot wound on Sophie's left arm.

Someone from the nail salon ran outside and then ran back in to call 911.

While Jack and Bobby where on the ground holding Sophie the same black car drove back onto the street.

"No!" Nikki cried as she was shoved into the back seat.

"Nikki!" Jack yelled running after the car, as more shots were fired.

"Jack!" Bobby said warningly.

"Shit! God d…"Jack yelled kicking the snow.

"Bobby?" Sophie said quietly looking up at him.

"Sophie, you're going to be ok," Bobby reassured her.

"Eww, don't touch me," she joked.

"Yea, alright. Ima send you my dry cleaning bill, gettin your blood all over my leather jacket," he scoffed.

"Go to hell," she giggled lightly.

Two minutes later an ambulance and two cop cars showed up.

"We needa call Angel," Bobby told Jack who wasn't listening.

"Jack?" Bobby said reaching his arm out to grab Jack.

"They have her," Jack said balling his fists up and cursing underneath his breath.

"We'll get her back, they didn't hurt her," Bobby said trying to console Jack.

"How do you know? She's probably scared," Jack shouted.

"Because they shot Sophie. If they wanted to kill Nikki they would have. They're tryna eliminate the people around her first. You get me?"

"How do we get her back? She can't see Bobby! What happens if they did stuff to her? " Jack asked still kicking snow in frustration.

"Excuse me?" a short bald older white officer asked walking up to both Bobby and Jack.

"Yes, officer?" Bobby replied properly, recognizing the police officer.

"What happened here?" he grunted grabbing a pencil and notepad from his breast pocket.

"It was a drive by sir," Bobby said plainly.

"That's it?" the cop asked in suspicion.

"That's it all," he said rocking back and forth on his heals, enjoying every minute of their conversation.

"Fine, you don't wanna talk Mercer, I'll be back later," the cop hissed walking away.

"What about Nikki?" Jack asked Bobby.

"We have to do this without the cops," Bobby told him as he motioned for him to get in the car.

_**

* * *

**__Mercer House-_

Angel held a picture of Sophie in his hands.

"How could yall not protect her?" Angel yelled in aggravation.

"I told you, Jacky ran across the street to get in front of her, but it was too late, I'm sorry man," Bobby said as his brother went through a tirade.

"Oh God," Angel said holding his head with his hands sobbing.

Bobby and Jack were told Sophie was going to be fine when she left by ambulance. When they got home they found out that Sophie hadn't even made it to the hospital. Sophie and three E.M.T's were killed on the way to the hospital by a "hit and run". They knew it had to be Troy and his boys.

"We gotta get em," Angel said vengefully.

"I'm sorry Angel," Jack said sympathetically.

"It's not your fault Jack. You did good man," he said grabbing Jack in for a hug.

"Thanks," Jack said truly sorry that he couldn't protect Sophie.

"Yeah Jack, I'm proud of you," Bobby said watching them from the couch.

Jack got caught up in that moment. This was the first time his brothers had actually acknowledged him for doing something good. He didn't know what else to say, but he knew that they really meant it, and this alone gave him the confidence he needed to go face Nikki's abductors.

"I'm proud of you too, but now, we need to go get Nikki," Angel said.

"Call Jerry," Bobby said grabbing his car keys.

After Jack called Jerry they met up at Johnny G's.

"I'm sorry to hear bout Sophie man," Jerry said hugging his little brother.

"Thanks bra," Angel said and then he sat down.

"So, you think they took her to the roller rink?" Jerry asked Bobby.

"Definitely. Look we gotta be careful, these ain't no high school punks were dealin wit," he said quietly.

"So what's the plan?" Jack asked impatiently.

"Calm down, were gunna get her back," Angel said sternly.

"I say we wait till everyone leaves and then try to catch him alone," Jerry said.

"We could be waitin there till like three a.m," Bobby said, "I was thinking we should just go in there."

"Huh? Bobby are you crazy?" Jack asked.

"I agree wit Cracker Jack on this one; you can't just go in the shootin up the place blind," Jerry professed.

"We ain't got any other better ideas, let's do it," Angel said nonchalantly, slamming his drink down on the table and putting on his coat.

"No matter what, these punks are just keep killing unless we get em first," Bobby said checking his watch, "It's almost nine, let's go."

"Ah," Jerry sighed as he followed his brothers out the door.

_**

* * *

**__Old roller skating rink-_

"You alright man?" Bobby asked, watching Angel stare at his gun.

"I'm cool," Angel replied tucking in back in his coat pocket.

"What time is it?" Jack asked clicking his thumbs together.

"Almost eleven," Bobby said hitting his clock radio on the dashboard.

"We've been out here for two hours and we ain't seen one person comin or goin," Jerry sighed groggily.

"What do we do now?" Jack asked.

"We wait," Angel said irritably, "I say we go in there and shot the shit out of all those mother fuckas."

"Look, we can't go in there with you all heated like this," Bobby told Angel, "We're sorry bout Sophie, we really are, but you need to stay focused right now. I ain't lettin any of yous get hurt tonight," he finished looking around the car.

"Quiet, look!" Jerry pointed as a guy in a black _Northface_ jacket crossed the parking lot.

"Ready?" Bobby asked as they all cocked their pistols in unison.

They all got out of the car and closed their doors silently. Bobby ran ahead of them making sure it was safe and then they followed him inside. They walked in slowly, hearing pin ball machines, loud hip hop music, and watched as flashing disco lights lit up the dark room. There were about six tall African American and three Latino men sitting in the middle of the roller rink lighting up. They laughed as they tortured some young female who was screaming bloody murder through the duck tape that muffled her cries. Jack noticed Nikki's winter coat lying on one of the _Win a Stuffed Animal_ machines.

"She's with them over there," Jack whispered as he and his brothers made there way by the _Rent a Skate _booth.

"Hey!" Bobby yelled without caution.

Eight men stood up with there guns pointed on the brothers.

"Nah, nah. Chill fellas. These are our guest," one sitting younger male smirked motioning for the guys to sit down.

"You Troy?" Angel asked forcing his way through Bobby and Jerry.

"If your looking you found him," Troy answered.

Angel ran right up to him and grabbed his collar, "Tell me why I shouldn't lay your ass out right now," and then Troy's boys all pointed their guns at Angel's head.

"You wouldn't wanna do that," Troy sneered.

"I ain't got nuttin to live for playboy, give me a good reason," Angel said holding tightly on the trigger of his nine millimeter.

"You might not have, but what about her," Troy said cocking his head to point at Nikki.

Angel just held on even tighter.

"I don't think your little sister would appreciate it," Troy said staring at Jack over Angel's shoulder.

Jack leaned forward but Jerry stopped him from going over there.

"This is between me and you homeboy," Angel said grabbing Troy's collar even tighter.

"Angel!" Bobby said warily.

"Oh, so you must be the boyfriend of that fine little Puerto Rican chick," Troy said maliciously.

Angel ran forward and slammed Troy against the wall. He heard one of the men behind him take the safety lock of his gun. He looked back and it was pointed at Nikki. When he turned back to Troy someone's gun went off and so did the most of the lights. Troy fought the gun out of Angel's hand and it hit the ground.

"Get Nikki out of here!" Bobby yelled to Jack as everyone started shooting.

It was so dark that Jack couldn't see his hands in the front of this face.

He heard Nikki's cries coming from the corner. All of a sudden someone stepped on his foot.

"_Pop," _Jack heard, he looked down and saw one of the Latino men at his feet and he heard Jerry yell, "Go!"

Bobby could see two of the men over by the snack machines and shot in their direction. Bobby had shot the machine's fuse and it exploded in their faces. Angel fought with Troy on the ground as he tried to feel for his gun.

Jerry felt a bullet flew past his ear; he shot in that direction and then he heard someone scream in agony as their gun feel to the floor.

Jack searched in the dark corner of the rink and could finally see Nikki. As he approached her she yelled forcefully through the tape.

"_Pop,"_ he heard again. Nikki screamed even louder as another man hit the floor. Bobby yelled for Jack to get the hell out of there but he couldn't hear him over all the shots being fired. Jack scooped her up and ran towards the door.

Angel and Troy were still struggling to find Angel's gun. Jerry had shot two men that were sneaking up behind Jack and Nikki. Jack didn't stop he just kept running. As he made his way outside someone tripped him. Nikki went tumbling into the snow and Jack stood back up quickly. The man laughed as he brought his gun to aim it between Jack's eyes.

"Night, night whitey," the man chuckled as he turned off the safety on his gun.

Jack's mind raced, he had a second chance at life and he wasn't going to give it up. He kicked the gun out of the guy's hand.

"What the fuck?" the man yelled.

Jack punched and wrestled him to the ground. After a minute of beating the man in the face Jack picked up the gun and looked at it.

"You don't have the balls," the beaten man slurred wiping his bloody lip.

Jack held the gun in both hands and pointed it at the guy.

Back inside, Bobby was fighting with one of the two men left in the building.

"You little shit!" Bobby yelled punching the guy just for fun and then he shot him.

"Bobby, Bobby. Angel needs us," Jerry yelled from across the rink. Bobby tried to follow his voice but he couldn't. Angel was still fighting with Troy. By the time Jerry had found Bobby someone yelled, "Oh shit."

Angel was sitting on the floor as Troy aimed the gun at his head.

Jerry and Bobby had run out of bullets but Bobby could see the glimmer of light that the silver gun gave off in Troy's hands. He ran over to his brother without thought.

"Shit!" Bobby yelled as a bullet pierced his right shoulder.

Jerry ran over to Troy and tackled him to the ground and another shot went off.

Jerry stood up and walked over to his brothers.

"Is he?" Angel asked Jerry.

"Troy's dead," Jerry said encouragingly.

"Where's Jack?" Bobby asked holding his bloody shoulder.

"You need to get to a hospital. What the hell kinda Jackie Chan move was that?" Angel asked chuckling.

"You lucky I'm made outta steel little brother," Bobby grunted trying to get up.

As they helped Bobby out of the roller skating rink, Jack was sitting by the doorway in shock.

"What the hell happened?" Jerry asked Nikki as he looked over at Jack and untapped her mouth.

"He did it," Angel said pointing at the dead man lying in the snow.

After Jerry helped Nikki up she said, "I heard a gun go off."

"Jack, Jacky," Bobby said shaking Jack while he still sat on the ground.

"Where's the gun?" Angel asked Jack.

"Over there," Jack said breathless.

Angel grabbed the gun that was almost fully covered by snow. He helped Jack up and they got in the car.

"Jack?" Nikki said softly.

"I'm here," he said still overwhelmed about what he did.

"You were just protecting me. It's ok," she said as he held her tightly.

* * *

Ok, It took me 3 days to make this chapter. I kept deleting it trying to make it better, PLEASE tell me what you think! Thanks! Only one more chapter to go! please bare with me 


	16. And the Beat goes on

**

* * *

****Chapter 16-And the beat goes on**

_Mercer House- _

"Shit," Bobby growled from the upstairs bathroom.

"Come on sis, this should only take a second," Jack laughed applying rubbing alcohol to Bobby's wounded shoulder.

Nikki was sitting on the bathroom sink while Jack cleaned Bobby's gun shot wound. Three days ago they had all endured hardships and heartache. Two days ago they attended Sophie's funeral. Yesterday they decided it was time to put that all behind and move on with their lives.

Angel stood in the doorframe, "Man, I'm almost ready," he said coldly.

They all looked up at him and then Jack asked, "You sure about this?"

Angel had applied to re-join the Maries. He and Sophie were supposed to get married and start a family, but now he saw no reason not to re-enlist.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said picking up the huge duffle back that was at his feet.

"Come on Jacky, wrap dat shit up good man," Bobby barked.

"Do you want to lose your shoulder?" Jack asked jokingly.

"_Do you wanna lose your shoulder?"_ Bobby said mockingly but playfully.

"So did you ask him?" Nikki asked Jack swinging her feet back and forth.

"Not yet," Jack said putting away the rubbing alcohol.

"Ask me what?" Bobby said getting dressed careful not to irritate his shoulder.

Nikki looked in the direction where Jack was standing.

"Well, ask him," Nikki urged.

"Bobby, I know you said you're going to stay here but I was wondering, actually we were wondering…" Jack started to say.

"You guys wanna live here? Together?" Bobby asked dismally.

"Yeah," Jack said staring at the floor.

Bobby went over to the sink and hugged Nikki, and then he hugged Jack and whispered in his ear, "As long as I don't have to hear you two fuckin' all night, your more than welcome to stay, this will always be your home," Bobby said happily.

Jack was surprised by his brother's answer but he hugged him back thankfully.

"Ready?" Angel yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah, hold on," Bobby yelled back, "You guys comin?" he asked talking to Jack and Nikki.

"Just to say goodbye," Jack said.

Jack picked Nikki up off the sink and carried her downstairs following Bobby. He sat her down on the last stair at the bottom.

"Take care man and take care of her" Angel said hugging his little brother.

"I will and you take care," Jack said feeling a little uneasy about Angel going back to the Marines.

Angel walked over to Nikki, "You gunna keep this white boy in line?" he asked.

"Of course," she said as he hugged and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll be right back," Bobby said as Angel disappeared through the front door and then so did Bobby.

Jack picked Nikki up and she giggled wildly as he sang some song she didn't recognize. She kicked so hard, she threw off his balance and they both went plummeting to the floor.

"Ha, ha, ha, ouch," Nikki laughed even though she banged her head on the floor.

"I'm sorry are you ok?" Jack asked concerned.

"I'm fine," she said pulling at his bright orange t-shirt, "Come here."

They kissed passionately as they both lay on the carpet.

"Come on," he said scooping her back up and dropping her on his bed.

"Right now?" she chuckled uncontrollably.

"Yes, right here right now," he said with lust in his voice.

"Oh, Jack Mercer," she said sarcastically.

Jack picked up his guitar, sat next to her, and placed it in her arms.

"Please tell me this is your guitar, not your…" she said excitedly.

"Yes it's the guitar," he said laughing, "Put your hands here."

She did as he said and then she said, "Jack since when did you start talking dirty like this?"

He guided her hands up and down the strings gently. After she got the hang of a couple cords he started to sing to her.

When he got to the middle of the song she stopped and looked behind her, "Jack."

He picked up the guitar and put it on the floor, "Yeah, what's wrong."

"Your eyes are so green," she said blinking fiercely.

"Are you ok?" he asked her.

"I can see your eyes," she said rubbing hers.

"You can see me? Like really see me?" he asked.

"Kinda, Oh my God Jack! Why the hell are you wearing that bright orange shirt?" Nikki smiled.

He picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and spun her around.

"I'm gunna be sick! Put me down you testosterone filled meat head!" she yelled happily as Jack screamed _"wa whos."_

Bobby had just got home from the airport when he heard all the screaming.

He ran upstairs and yelled, "What's wrong?"

"I can see! Kinda!" Nikki yelled like a little girl.

"She can see!" Jack said dumping her on the floor.

"Ow," she wined staring up at Bobby who was a big brown blur because of this brown leather jacket.

"Congratulations," Bobby said caringly and then he walked out of the room smiling.

Jack placed his hands on his hips and sighed, "Wow."

"I know," Nikki said as she violently kicked Jack in the back of his left ankle, forcing him down on the ground with her.

"What was that for?" he asked her as he watched her hazel eyes stare back at his.

"I love you," she said reaching out to stroke his wild brown hair.

"I love you more," he said as she sat up and straddled his body.

"Oh my God," she said shockingly covering her mouth with both hands.

"What is it?" he asked confusingly.

"You're white?" she said, and then she burst out in laughter.

"Come here," he said pulling her in for another kiss.

Bobby walked by Jack's door and watched the two love birds share their passion for one another. He laughed to himself, "Family."

* * *

Thank you all for reading! I know this was a long stroy but I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave comments becuase I love to read them! 


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